Hollywood Management
by dawnindanite
Summary: AU Katie Knight begins her dream career as a manager in the entertainment industry. With the return of her brother and his friends, she embarks on a journey she never thought she'd travel. JATIE and other pairings.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey readers of Big Time Rush. This is my first contribution to this fandom and I am really excited to share it with you. I've read some great stories here and I just want to share mine as well. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Disclaimer: Big Time Rush characters and references and real-life actors mentioned in the story are not mine.

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><p>Katie had dreamt that she would be in this position since she was ten years old; finally, at the age of twenty-two, Katie Knight had become a Hollywood manager. After fast-tracking through high-school and putting herself through media studies at UCLA for four years, she could say that she had made it, albeit not as successful as she would like. She could count her clientele on one hand, including her first and faithful superstar, Russell Brand.<p>

Katie looked up from the latest potential script for her up-and-coming client, Marka Jones, to stare at the clock. Time was passing unusually slowly. It was a special day for Katie, her brother, Kendall, was coming in from Minnesota to visit her in 'La La Land.' Katie always looked forward to Kendall's semi-annual visits, even after being apart for over five years, he had always been her idol.

Katie smiled as she thought of her blond-haired, bushy eyebrow-ed brother. She wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for him and his friends. Twelve years ago, Kendall and his best friends, Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell and James Diamond had begun their journey as international pop-stars, Big Time Rush. Acclimatizing to Los Angeles wasn't hard for her, Katie bonded to celebrity-town as jelly melded with peanut butter. Kendall, as much as he loved L.A., had to return to their childhood town. After the guys had disbanded after a relatively long and successful career, her brother went on to study at the University of Minnesota with a hockey scholarship. Instead of pursuing a professional hockey career as everyone had assumed, Kendall became his alma mater's youngest hockey coach, and loving every minute of it.

Katie sighed audibly and continued reading the script about an animal trainer who succumbed to his wildest desires to be a fighter pilot. Marka's intended role was that of the training fighter pilot in which the protagonist of the story would fall in love. The storyline was excessively done in Hollywood, but it was a classic: fulfilling one's true desire. As outrageous as it may seem, Katie did believe that the storyline was plausible; in fact, she could easily cast Carlos as the lead. Katie smirked, thinking of how the Latino would be perfect for the role as a rambunctious, clumsy yet sweet man who would do anything to reach his dreams, as he was right now. Not one to stay in one place very long, Carlos had embarked on a worldwide backpacking adventure for the past couple of years. Katie would occasionally receive a postcard in the mail from wherever Carlos had last been. Of her brother's best friends, Carlos was always the one that Katie was closest, only because the maturity level of the two always seemed to be on par.

After a half-hour had passed by, Katie's phone rang, breaking her concentration. "Yes, Mags?"

"Kate, there's a 'Lord Prankerton' on the line for you. Do you want me to scream like a banshee and hang up?"

Katie grinned, the one reason she hired Magdalene was because of her similar personality to herself.

"No, it's alright, Mags, patch him through."

"Okay, but if you change your mind, I'll be ready." Mags stated skeptically.

"Thanks, Mags." Katie's grin grew even wider as she anticipated the caller.

"Is this _thee_ Ms. Katie Knight, with whom I am speaking?" A horribly faked British accent rang through her speaker.

Katie schooled her grin and attempted her own English accent. "This is she, and how might I help _thee_ Lord Prankerton, today?"

"Oh, just letting you know that you no longer have to pick me up the airport, I'm on my way to your office, right now." Kendall said normally.

"Kendall! Why is it that you never stick with the plan?" Katie scolded her brother, she too, dropping the accent.

"You know me, I like spontaneity."

"I know you can't spell 'spontaneity'," Katie cleverly replied, and smiled knowingly at the silent pause.

"Alright, you got me baby sis. I'll see you in fifteen."

"Great, I'll be here, and don't get all wacky with Mags, she doesn't understand our humour."

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><p>Katie gave up trying to finish reading the script, her mind was already racing with thoughts about the antics she and Kendall would get into. She tidied up her desk and paged Mags.<p>

"Yes, Kate?"

As much as Katie wanted to be professional, Mags was a friend and therefore Katie allowed her to call her by her first name whenever the office was empty. She was Ms. Knight in public, something she had yet to get used to.

"Hey Mags, can you make sure that my afternoon is cleared? Also, I'll probably be out of the office for the next week, if any of the clients call, just patch them through to my cellphone. I am expecting a call from Marka, soon."

"Don't forget about the meeting with Mr. Fulton you have on Thursday." Mags reminded her.

"Oh shoot," Katie groaned, rolling her eyes. Paul Fulton was the CEO of FMA, the largest managerial corporation in L.A. As an independent company, Katie was constantly at war with Fulton. "Okay, aside from what should be a _successful_ meeting with the devil," Katie stated sarcastically, "I won't be here in person."

"No problem, Boss Lady." Mags chirped happily.

"Boss Lady? Wow, you certainly are taking over the industry." Katie looked up at the figure by her office door, her eyes lighting up in recognition.

"Kendall!" Katie ran over and jumped on her brother. It felt good to breathe in his scent that reminded her of home. "I missed you, big brother."

"Missed you too, baby sister." Kendall's arms wrapped around her slight figure. The two siblings hung on to each other for a short moment. They let go to stare at each other to see if there were any differences. Katie kept a grin on her face.

"Ahem." Katie looked over Kendall's shoulder, startled. The voice was a little too deep to belong to Mags. Her grin grew wider as her gaze rested on a familiar lopsided smile adorned on a brown-haired male.

"Logan!" She stepped toward him and gave him a tight squeeze. "What are you doing here?"

Logan gave Katie an equally tight hug. "I'm just about to start my residency, so I have a couple of weeks off before then. What better way can I spend it then in the California sun?"

After Big Time Rush, Logan had continued on his pursuit of becoming a doctor. He finished his undergraduate program at Princeton University and started his medical degree at Johns Hopkins. Katie always admired his determination and how he never let go of this particular dream, even if he was side-tracked by a different one. She knew that Logan was going to be a great physician. His boyish charm wasn't going to hurt his career either.

"Have you been eating? You don't look so good." Logan frowned slightly as he studied her face after Katie stepped out of the hug.

"It's nothing, just been a bit busy lately, my newest client is a little demanding. Also, I've always been on the small side, which is a good thing, I guess, keeping in mind that it helped put me through college." Katie stated, referring to her modelling career she had undertaken during her undergraduate. Considering that she wasn't a typical Californian beauty, with large, brown doe eyes and mousey brown hair, Katie was surprised at how many gigs she did land.

"Hey, mom had set aside money for you and me to put us through college, not to mention, I saved up quite a bit from BTR." Kendall said, offendedly.

"Yes, she did, but it wasn't enough for college, an apartment and a car," Katie shot back as she went to her closet to grab her jacket and purse. "And I wasn't going to take your hard-earned money. Not to mention, how else would I learn to be independent?" She smiled at the men by her door. "Now, let's get moving, shall we? I've made reservations at _Giancarlo's_."

"Let's get going." The two stated simultaneously, all the while gesturing dramatically toward the door. Katie laughed, some things never changed.

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><p>AN: Alright, that was chapter 1. I hope you liked it! I would really appreciate reviews! Thanks for reading. -D


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I just want to thank you all for the comments, the favourites, author and story alerts. Knowing that so many of you are reading and liking my story, means so much to me.

[Becca Krava]: Thank you for the review, I just wanted to clarify that I made Logan study at Princeton for his undergraduate degree. He is in the midst of his medical degree at Johns Hopkins :)

Disclaimer: I only own the storyline and OC's.

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><p>"So we'll head to my place and drop off your bags before we eat, okay? I only have one guest room, so you two will have to toss a coin or something to figure out who gets the couch." Katie said as she drove down Sunset Boulevard in her old convertible.<p>

"Actually," Logan began hesitantly, from the backseat. Katie glanced up to her rearview mirror to look at his guilty face. "Katie, I'll be staying with James during my visit."

Katie laughed, while making a turn. "Logan, don't feel bad. James is one of your best friends, why would I be offended? I'm cool with it. I'll drop you off after dinner."

James, the last member of Big Time Rush, was the only one who remained in Hollywood after the band decided to go their own ways. Like he always wished, he started a solo career that boomed from the beginning as the loyal fans of BTR supported him, right from the gates. Katie had rarely crossed paths with him as she normally dealt with actors and actresses. That was not say that James didn't act in films; he recently starred in a biopic about a blind teacher who had altered the life of his students. Critics raved about his performance and rumours have started about a possible Oscar nomination.

"You're the best, Katie." Logan smiled, happy that he didn't offend her.

"Have you spoken to him recently, Katie?" Kendall asked from the passenger seat.

Katie shook her head. "Can't say I have. I think the last time I spoke to him was on my birthday, when he called from location in New York. It's been even longer since I've seen him in person."

"Your birthday? That was nine months ago! I can't believe him, I told him to keep an eye on you out here." Kendall growled.

"Relax, Kendall." Katie punched him lightly. "He has a career to handle, and I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"I know that, but still, the least he could do is call you, just to check up."

"Oh, cheer up. I'm standing, well, sitting here, aren't I? I think it's safe to say that I can survive without the watchful eye of one James Diamond." Katie said, as she pulled in front of the restaurant doors. "Now, tell me about mom. How is she? She was saying something last week about starting a book club?" Katie smiled at the valet, as she handed over her keys, when she and the guys got out of the car.

"You know mom, always saying she wants to do this or that, and never actually going through with it. Just before we left, she was thinking about going on a yoga retreat." Katie giggled, as the hostess led them to their table.

Jennifer Knight had decided to follow Kendall back to Minnesota when the band broke up. She had reluctantly allowed Katie to stay in California, knowing that her daughter needed to be there in order to start her career. She was able to retire early, after Kendall insisted that she live off his small fortune from BTR's success, but after realizing that she didn't like to be idle, started a part-time job as a coordinator for soon-to-be stage moms at the local arts school. Considering Jennifer's many years of experience and more than a dozen anxious mothers, the school decided that they needed someone to offer guidance on how to foster a "normal" upbringing for their children.

Katie took a sip from her glass of water, after the waiter had taken their orders. "Now, tell me about you guys. How's it going with Charlie, Kendall?"

Logan snickered, as Kendall shot him a dirty look. "It's over." Kendall stated. Katie raised one eye in question and as a cue for Kendall to continue. "She, it turns out, was only dating me to get her brother on the hockey team. Not to mention, she had a really weird obsession with ducks." Kendall sighed, "Girls are weird."

"True that." Logan piped in. Katie shifted her gaze to him, slightly affronted by his remark.

"What about you, doctor-to-be? Any unlucky ladies in your life?" Katie quipped.

Kendall grinned as Logan glared at Katie. "No," he started. "But it's a choice, I'm too busy studying, for any kind of serious relationship." Logan smirked as he stared back at Katie. "Now, Katie, should we be worried about any boyfriends that you may have?"

Kendall paused as he was taking a sip from his wine, waiting for an answer from his sister. Katie blushed before answering. "I just got out of a serious relationship, actually." Katie's almost non-existent dating life was due to her being focused on her career. Her last boyfriend, Michael, didn't understand all the hours that Katie put in for her clients.

"Oh, really? It was only last month that I read something online about you on a date with that young Hollywood star, Caleb Graham was it?" Logan continued to rub in.

"Oh please, that wasn't real, Caleb only asked me to be his date on the red carpet so that he could meet Camille inside the theatre. I only did it, because she's a friend, and well, a client." Camille Roberts, being a true friend that she was, decided to support Katie by hiring her as her manager the second she graduated from UCLA. Camille and Katie made a good team, with Camille landing a number of jobs since the partnership, including a lead role on TV's hottest new drama series: _The Criteria_. Camille played the psychotic guidance counsellor, a role that she easily fell into.

"Ah, Camille. Her show's really starting to pick up." Kendall said before taking a bite of his sirloin. "Mom is in love with that doctor guy." He continued, after he swallowed.

Logan remained silent over the conversation about their old Palm Woods friend. Katie reached over and patted his arm. "You okay?" Katie asked worriedly, Logan had always taken extra measure, caring for her health and checking over her homework when time allowed, back when they still lived together. He was a surrogate father to her and Katie never took it for granted.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, I haven't thought of Camille in a very long time." Logan sighed, as he took a bite of his salad.

Kendall clapped him on the back, making Logan spit out the salad. "Hey, one night out with the guys and you'll be back to normal." He smiled, not realizing what he had just done. Katie giggled, as the three continued eating and catching-up.

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><p>AN: Again, thanks for reading, I promise James will make an appearance in the next chapter ;)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Again, I just want to thank you guys for reading this story! It literally makes my day, whenever I check the traffic for this story and see that so many people across the globe is reading what I'm writing. Like always, please enjoy this chapter. :)

There will be something scandalous mentioned in this chapter, and it will get worse as the story progresses, but because the story takes place in the future, I think that the BTR characters will have to have matured, somewhat.

Disclaimer: All celebrity names and Big Time Rush characters and references do not belong to me.

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><p>"So, if I remember correctly, this is James' house." Katie said as she squinted at the address. 'House,' was putting it lightly, never one to be modest, James lived in a beautiful mansion among other Hollywood stars, including the likes of The Beckhams and The Cruises. She pulled up to the intercom at the front gate.<p>

"Welcome to Master Diamond's abode, may I ask who is calling?" The three passengers in the car rolled their eyes; it was typical of James to hire an English butler. For years, after the Hawk incident, James continued to rave about Sebastian's services.

Kendall leaned over Katie to speak into the intercom. "Hey, Henry, can you tell _master_ James that his best friends are here and that he better let us in before I christen the gates like I did with Gustavo's desk." Katie and Logan laughed, thinking back to the whole bad-boy incident at Rocque Records. A high-pitched yelp could be heard from the intercom, before a familiar upset voice rang through.

"Don't you even think about it, Knight."

"Then open the gates, quickly." Grumbling could be heard before the iron fence allowed the vehicle to enter. The three laughed as Katie drove up the driveway and pulled up to the front door. Katie put her car in park as Kendall and Logan got out and unloaded Logan's luggage.

"Okay, so I'll take your stuff to my place, now. Do you need me to come back and pick you up later or will you catch a ride?" Katie questioned as she looked up her brother.

The two guys looked at her questioningly. "Aren't you coming in?" Logan asked.

Before she could answer, a frustrated voice called out from the opening doors, distracting the three. "What is taking so long?" James sauntered slowly over to the car before being knocked over from a running force behind him.

"Katie!" The figure quickly pushed past Kendall and Logan to hop into the passenger seat.

Katie grinned as she exclaimed, "Carlos!" Promptly reaching around him to give him a hug, which he only returned willingly. "I can't believe this!" The two smiled goofily at each other, happy to be reunited.

Three voices being cleared behind Carlos, broke their moment. James, Kendall and Logan all stood there, with their arms crossed. Carlos smiled sheepishly at his best friends. "Oh, hey guys, great seeing you too." Katie smiled up at James and gave him little wave, which he returned with a smile of his own.

Katie laughed as Carlos opened the door to leave. "Hey Kendall, why don't you stay here tonight and catch up with the guys, I'll be back tomorrow morning. It's been a while since the four of you have been together."

"Are you sure, Katie?"

"Trust me, besides, it's probably for the best. I didn't get to finish reading a script, today."

"And this is why you are my favourite person, baby sister." Kendall gushed, leaning over and kissing her on her head before grabbing one of his bags.

"Don't you forget it. Why don't we all go out for breakfast, tomorrow?" Kendall, Logan and Carlos all nodded, before shuffling through the doors. Katie called out to them. "Last one to wake, has to pay!" All of them laughed at her attempt to ensure that they guys would wake up in time. James continued to stand by her car, with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey James, you need something?" Katie tilted her head at the handsome man. Like any hot-blooded female, Katie recognized the sexual appeal that James oozed from every pore, having harboured a teenaged crush on him for a couple of years. She had like him in the sense that James was good-looking celebrity and her older brother's friend; someone that was out of her reach. However, like her infatuation with Dak Zevon, Katie grew out of the celebrity-type crush that she had on James. As much as it pained her to acknowledge, James was now more of an acquaintance then friend. Everyone assumed that the two would remain closest, as they lived in the same city and worked in the entertainment industry; they never really had time to hang out as they did when they lived under the same roof.

James opened the door to her car and sat down beside her. He glanced at her, then looked at the windshield, taking a breath, before starting. "I think," he paused to collect his thoughts. His facially features becoming determined as he faced Katie again. "Have you heard?"

Katie looked at him in puzzlement. "Heard..."

"I may have, accidentally, slept with my manager's wife." James said slowly and forming a sheepish smile.

Katie widened her eyes in shock. It wasn't news that James was a heartbreaker in Hollywood, but she couldn't believe that he would be a home-wrecker too. Katie leaned back against her door. "Wow." She managed to muster, without revealing her disgust.

"I know, I know. It's probably the worst thing, I have ever done and I'm really, _really_ sorry about it. I didn't know she was Larry's wife until after we, you know...," he trailed off. "It was a complete and honest mistake, but Larry thinks I did it on purpose, and now he hates my guts."

"Well, I don't blame him." Katie replied.

"The point is, he quit on me." Katie snorted, which James chose to ignore. "Now, I am in clear need of a new a manager." James then started to turn on his charming smile, with that hopeful look in his hazel eyes, whenever he needed something.

Katie's own brown eyes widened as she connected the dots. "Oh no−"

"Come on, Katie. You know me, we'd be a great team together."

"Aren't you with FMA? I'm sure that Fulton and his team would find you another manager in a heartbeat." Katie tried reasoning with James.

"Yeah, no. Larry is Paul's cousin-in-law, twice removed or something like that. He made sure that no one in the company would be willing to be my manager." James concluded.

"Oh." Katie sighed. "Well, you're a thirty year old pop-star with a bourgeoning movie career, I'm sure that there are dozens of agencies whom are willing to manage you."

"I'm only twenty-eight!" James yelled offendedly. "And why are you so reluctant to be my manager?"

"Because, because," Katie stuttered, racking her brain for an answer, "because I know nothing about the music industry. I wouldn't be an asset to your career." Truthfully, Katie didn't want to be James' manager because she was afraid of delving into his personal life. She knew that becoming his manager would either make her fall in love with him again or hate him. The man did not know how to keep his work life out of his personal life, his current dilemma as proof.

"Kelly will explain everything to you. It's really not all that hard. At least I don't think it is." James furrowed his eyebrows in concentration.

Katie sighed again. "Why do you want me to be your manager so bad, anyway?"

"Because you're Katie." James smiled charmingly, again.

Katie couldn't help her own lips from smiling back. She sighed dramatically, before agreeing. "Fine."

"Yes!" James pumped his arms in victory. "You are not going to regret this, Katie."

"I already am," she mumbled.

"What was that?" James questioned.

"Nothing," Katie smiled. "I'll bring a contract with me tomorrow so you can look it over with your lawyer and see if you want to make any changes."

"You really are the best, Katie." James said, leaning over and giving her a hug, and enveloping her with a heady, yet familiar 'Cuda musk. Katie awkwardly returned the hug, by patting him on the back.

"So I've heard. Now, get out of my car, you have friends that you need to entertain. Don't let them get too drunk; breakfast, remember?" Katie warned James as he stepped out of the car.

James laughed and saluted her, while she started the car. "I'll do my best, Lady Katie."

Katie grimaced at the awful nickname and shook her head, before smiling at him. "Good night, James."

"G'night, Katie." James said, before Katie pulled away from the house. She glanced back in her rearview mirror to see him still standing there, with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, Katie, what are you getting yourself into?" She questioned out loud.

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><p>AN: Surprise! Not only do we get James in this chapter, but Carlos as well. Like always, please leave a review, I love reading your comments! -D


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hi Readers. As usual, just wanted to express my gratitude for your support. Here's the next chapter. :)

As much as I want to thank all reviewers personally, that would take too much time, but I would like to address a few:

[XOXO READERS]: Can't promise that it'll happen anytime _soon_, sorry!

[StuckAt9.99]: I just want to say how much I LOVE your username. Love Letter is my favourite Heffron Drive song. Thanks for the review.

[abbyli]: Deal. ;)

Disclaimer: As stated, only the plot and original characters are mine.

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><p>Looking in the mirror, Katie felt she had travelled back in time to her young preteen years. Her straight, brown hair fell past her shoulders, she never had time to keep it maintained; often opting to place it in a bun at the office. She tugged at the hem of her checkered dress shirt over her tank top. Her long legs encased in skinny jeans. The only difference, was her desire to wear a pair of heels with her outfit. Though at the height of 5'7'', Katie had felt considerably shorter than her peers in the modelling industry, and the need to gain extra height eventually became a normality. She smiled at her reflection before turning away to grab her purse and work folder to leave for breakfast with the guys.<p>

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><p>As Katie pulled up to the front doors of James' mansion, as she did last night, she let out a laugh as she peered over her sunglasses. She could tell that the guys had very little sleep, by the way Kendall continuously yawned and Logan kept rubbing sleep from his eyes. Carlos was the only one who was alert and perky, waving to Katie as she came to a stop.<p>

"Well, who lost?" Katie asked. Kendall dropped his bag in the back seat and was about to open the door to the passenger seat, when Carlos shoved him aside and hopped in. Katie and Kendall both looked at Carlos.

"Kendall did," Carlos cheerfully replied. "We turned off his alarm so that he would have to lose. Morning, Katie."

"Dude! Get out of my seat." Kendall yelled, frustrated.

"No, I didn't get to talk to Katie, yet." Carlos retorted, pulling on his hood and shades.

"But she's _my_ sister." Kendall fumed, his hands gesturing from him to Katie.

"Well, too bad. I got here first." Carlos said, stubbornly.

"Carlos−" Kendall started before being interrupted.

"Hey, are we going, or what? I'm starving." James yelled from behind the car. Katie looked back to see that James had decided to drive his Benz, one of his many luxury vehicles, that day. Logan was already in the seat, beside him, still trying to stay awake.

"Look, Kendall," Katie started, "just get in my car or James', 'cause everyone is hungry and Carlos is clearly not leaving this seat," Carlos, nodded, emphatically. "Besides, I have the whole week to spend with you."

Kendall pouted, "Fine, but I'm still not happy about this. That's why, I'll be riding with James," he huffed before stomping away.

"Hey, tell James, we're going to the diner," Katie yelled to Kendall, referring to an old favourite hangout of theirs. "Oh, I've forgotten how you guys act like kids, before breakfast." Katie sighed, shaking her head at Carlos.

"Ah, you know you love it," Carlos grinned, "now, _vamos_!" Katie laughed as she pulled out of the driveway. "So Katie-cakes, how's life? How's Michael?" Carlos inquired, knowing about Katie's last boyfriend from her last e-mail.

"Michael is gone." Katie said. "He was ridiculously clingy, needing to know my every single move of every single day."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, it just means that he cares about you."

"Yeah, but the guy wouldn't even let me go to the bathroom without an interrogation, first," Katie exaggerated. Carlos laughed.

"What about you? Any special girls while you were exploring the world?"

"Not really. I mean, I did meet someone in El Salvador, but she was preparing to join The Convent. Oh, I also ran into one of the Jennifers in Tokyo."

"Which one?" Katie asked.

"Yeah." Carlos replied, completely evading the question, like he did back at the Palm Woods. He continued to tell her of his camel-riding experience in Egypt, how he kayaked in the Amazon River and broke tea cups in England. Katie laughed through his stories, Carlos always managed to make it so that Katie lived vicariously through his adventures.

"You should have seen it, Katie, the Great Wall of China is so long." Carlos finished, as Katie pulled into the diner's parking lot, with James and the others, right behind them.

Katied nodded. "It sounds amazing, Carlos, and I promise, one day, I will be able to see it for myself." Carlos was always furious when Katie refused to tour the world with the band when she was younger. Katie did regret missing all the adventures that the boys talked about, but she was comfortable where she was, rarely travelling outside of America.

The two got out of the car, watching Logan and James crash into each other as they both tried to get in the restaurant first. Kendall sluggishly followed after them. "So, what do you plan on doing now?" Katie asked as she moved her sunglasses to rest on her head.

"Not sure yet," Carlos shrugged. "I mean, I travelled the world twice, already. James said that I could crash at his place for as long as I want to."

"So, you'll be in town for the next while. Hey!" Katie exclaimed, happily.

"What?" Carlos asked, confused at her sudden outburst.

"You should totally audition for a movie. I know the perfect role for you."

Carls scrunched up his face in hesitation, "I don't know..."

"Trust me, Carlos. It's about an animal trainer who becomes a fighter pilot." Katie grinned, knowing that the storyline would peak his interest. "Listen, later, I'll stop by my office, and I'll get you a copy of the script."

Carlos sighed, but nodded in agreement, relenting to Katie's demand.

"Alright! Let's celebrate with some pancakes." Katie stated happily, as she grabbed Carlos' arm and dragged him through the restaurant doors.

The two spotted the others at a long booth, with Kendall on one side and James and Logan on the other. Katie cheerfully slid in next to James, knowing that it would be a tight squeeze if Carlos tried to sit there. James draped his arm around Katie's shoulders and shared a menu with her. Katie didn't think much of it, knowing that James was a touchy-feely kind of guy. Kendall, however, stared daggers at James, while gulping down his coffee.

"Whatcha doin' there, James?" Kendall hissed between his teeth.

James looked up in confusion, at Kendall's tone. "Excuse me?"

"Why do you have your arm around my _baby sister_?" Kendall asked again.

Katie sighed and shrugged off James' arm, with James pulling back, looking affronted by the gesture. Katie gave him an apologetic look, before looking back at her brother. "Kendall, you know how James is. He's like a kitten, constantly needing human contact to keep warm."

"Hey, I−yep, baby kitten, that's me." James squeaked as he felt Katie's heel digging into his foot.

Logan and Carlos snickered. Kendall fumed silently, knowing that his sister would get angry if he continued this line of inquiry. Carlos interjected with a question, hoping to diffuse the situation, "Hey James, aren't you dating that girl from _The Vampire Story Saga-Trilogy_?"

"Aubrey Stewart?" James questioned. "No way, she's like married to her co-star, Robert Paxton, I think."

"For thirty-year-olds, you guys sure have plenty of time surfing the net." Katie said offhandedly.

"We're only twenty-eight!" The four guys yelled, simultaneously.

Katie held up her hands, in defence. Just then, Katie's phone vibrated from inside her purse. After rustling around, she found her phone and checked the caller ID. "Sorry, I gotta get this. Order me the pancake special, will you? With extra strawberries!" She said, before stepping out to answer the call.

"Hey, Marka. How's it going?" Marka Jones was Hollywood's new it-girl and Katie was surprised when she was requested to be Marka's manager. It turned out that Russell was a friend of Marka's and told her that if she wanted to become successful in Hollywood, she should hire Katie. As much as she appreciated Russell and the opportunity to represent the petite redhead, Marka was a little bit of a diva. "Yes, I did finish the script, and I do think that this role would be a good one for you. The character is strong, independent and hilarious to boot. You would definitely be appealing to a variety of audiences." Unlike many of her counterparts in the business, Marka did not have preference for roles that exemplified her talent, but rather preferred roles that sat comfortably with her fans. "Okay, I'll call the studio and let them know that you want the role." Katie nodded as she heard her client agree to the role. "Well, I'll talk to you soon, bye now."

As Katie returned to the table, the guys were already chowing down on their meals. "Pass the syrup." She said, as she reached across the table towards Kendall. "Thanks."

"Effry-ing ohay?" James asked, with his mouth full. Katie smiled.

"Everything is good. It was a just a client. Oh, that reminds me, are you free, after? I thought I had the contract on my laptop, but it's on my office desktop. I'm heading over there later on anyway, you can come with."

"Sure, and we can head over to Rocque Records later, so that Kelly can explain the business to you."

"What's going on? Why does Kelly have to show Katie the ropes?" Logan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You didn't tell them?" Katie sighed when James shook his head. Katie started her breakfast, as he explained.

"I didn't get the chance to. By the time I came in, last night, Carlos was already swinging from the chandelier, Logan was about dissect my iguana and Kendall was swimming in my pool...nude!" James exclaimed as the other guys hung their heads in shame.

"Wow, you guys are easy drunks." Katie muttered between bites, shaking her head in distaste, while James nodded and laughed.

"Katie!" Kendall yelled, scandalized that his sister knew about alcohol.

"Kendall, I'm twenty-two, living in L.A., you really think that I'm that innocent. Come to think of it, was I ever really that innocent?" James, Carlos and Logan all pointed at her, in agreement.

"You will always be my ten-year-old, baby-faced sister to me." Kendall smiled, adoringly, causing Katie to smile back. "Now, what is this about Kelly?" he continued to ask.

"Oh, well, James has decided that I am to become his manager." Katie announced, before she took another bite of her pancakes.

Carlos, Kendall and Logan exchanged looks before breaking out into laughter. Katie raised her eyebrows and nodded slightly, understanding their skepticism. James looked frustrated at the apparent agreement that he and Katie wouldn't work well together.

"Well, I happen to think that Katie and I will make a fantastic duo. We'll be 'The Superstar Team of Hollywood' team."

As if on cue, Logan pointed out, "You said, 'team,' twice."

"You bet I did."

Katie chugged down the rest of her orange juice before tossing her napkin on her plate. "Okay, so how are we doing this? Are we all going to my office?"

"I wanna see Kelly," Carlos whined, then added as an afterthought, "and Gustavo, too."

"Why don't Logan, Carlos and I head over to the studio first, and meet you there when you guys are done, doing whatever." Kendall suggested.

"Perfect, James, hand over your keys." Katie nudged him.

"What? And risk my baby getting scratched? No way. You hand over _your_ keys." James replied, clearly scandalized with the thought of allowing any of the other guys to drive his car.

"Fine." Katie grumbled as she tossed her keys to her brother. Katie stood up, ready to leave, "Thanks for breakfast, big brother." She smirked as her brother's face fell.

"Not funny." Kendall replied as he reached for his wallet.

* * *

><p>AN: Well there's that. The next chapter is one of my favourites, I'll try to finish editing it by tomorrow. Again, please leave reviews, all comments are greatly appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I did it! I had hoped that I would be able to edit and post this chapter today. :) Thank you again for your overwhelming support! XO

I hope you guys like this chapter, it's one of my favourites.

Disclaimer: I do not own BTR or any of its characters and/or references.

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><p>Katie and James reached her office, relatively unscathed. James had almost run over a pedestrian because he was too busy looking at himself in the mirror. Katie tried to keep a fair distance between the two, to amplify her annoyance with him. As she opened the door to the receptionist area, she spotted Mags answering the phone and smiled.<p>

"Knight Management, please hold." Mags pushed down the hold button. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you wouldn't be in, today?"

Before Katie could answer, James sidled up to Mags' desk and plastered on his charming smile. "Well, hello. I'm James Diamond."

"James, if you want me to be your manager, you're going to have to stop trying to get in my assistant's pants." Katie growled, as she unlocked her office door. "Besides, Mags is married."

"Shame, really. You and I could have made beautiful babies together." He continued, disregarding Katie's warning about his flirtatious nature.

"James!" Katie growled, even more ferociously, from inside her office.

"Coming!" James scampered in, after Katie, afraid of her temper. "Whoa, great office, Katie," he stated, as he looked around her office. She had a few promotional posters up of her client's films, including a couple of Russell Brand's films. "You know," James smiled cheekily, "I am going to look great on your walls."

"Don't be so modest, James." Katie said sarcastically, as she looked for the contract.

Magdalene approached the door, and grabbed the knob, fully intending to close it for privacy. Before she did, she pointed to James' back, who was currently looking out of the window, and mouthed to Katie, 'So hot!' and fanned herself with her hand. Katie rolled her eyes, as she went back to scrolling through her documents. Mags continued to silently communicate with Katie by looking pointedly between Katie and James and smiling. Katie mouthed back, 'no,' before making shooing motions with her hands. Mags mouthed, 'go for it,' and closed the door. Katie shook her head at her assistant's antics. After breaking up with Michael, Mags continuously tried to set Katie up with her husband's co-workers, insisting that Katie needed to get out more, if not to find her soulmate, then at least to release her pent-up, sexual frustration.

After finding the correct folder, Katie glanced up at James. "Now, are you really sure you want to do this?"

"Yep, where do I sign?" James eagerly exclaimed as he sat down across from her and reached for a pen.

"Don't you want to talk to your lawyer and agent first?" Katie asked, skeptically as the printer behind her started to whir to life.

"Katie, I think I can trust you to have a fully legitimate contract, without me having to worry about anything. If I can't trust you, who can I trust in this town? And Chris, that's my agent, has no say in whom I hire as a manager. Now will you pass over the papers."

Katie sighed and reluctantly handed over the contract. "Okay, so as your manager, I am entitled to ten percent of your earnings. I must be consulted before you agree to any movie deals or any contractual agreement you have with your musical production company or any other company thereof and," Katie paused dramatically, "you cannot sleep with any of my female employees or clients."

"So, does that mean I can sleep with you?" James wondered aloud, sincerely curious about the answer and not paying attention to what he was insinuating.

"No, James. That does _not_ mean you can sleep with me," said Katie, and narrowed her eyes at him, hoping that he could tell how much of a horn-dog she thought he was. James promptly looked down, and quickly signed and dated the contract before handing it back to Katie.

He broke into smile. "There. You are now my manager." He looked around the room, "Now if you excuse me, I have to use the loo." He pleasantly made his way into Katie's private washroom, completely unaware of Katie's self-musings about what she had gotten herself into.

Katie was about to put the contract away when Mags paged her. "Ms. Knight? Tony and Daniella are here to see you." Katie frowned at the news. Tony and Daniella were a photography duo that Katie had worked numerous shoots with, when she still modelled.

"Was I expecting them?"

"No, but they say that it's an emergency."

"Let them in." Katie agreed. Tony and Daniella had gifted Katie with a few dozen promotional ads, when she started her agency. Katie stood up and smoothed out her shirt.

The door to her office burst open. "Kate, darling−oh my, what are you wearing?" Tony exclaimed as he bent over and kissed Katie on both cheeks.

"Have you been letting yourself go?" Daniella added, as she too embraced Katie.

"No, it's..." Katie trailed off. "It's casual Friday."

"It's only Tuesday, darling." Tony waved his hand and said, "Never mind, let's get down to business," as he and Daniella took at seat. As much as they were all about flare and fashion, the duo had always been very direct about business, something that Katie appreciated.

Daniella cleared her throat, before speaking, "We need your help, Button. We seemed to have run ourselves straight into a wall, and we had nowhere to turn. 'Cuda Cosmetics has asked us to shoot for their new female fragrance, 'Electric Eel,' but our model, Elisha, came down with the chicken pox!" Katie noticed Tony mouthing, 'chicken pox,' in complete horror.

"We were hoping, Button, that you would fill in for her." Daniella continued. "Tony and I think that you would be the _perfect_ representative for this perfume."

Katie was shocked at the request. "But I'm retired. I manage talents now, you guys know this. And anyway, I don't think that 'Cuda would let you pick their models for them."

"Yes, but darling, you would be perfect. We've already shown 'Cuda some of your older shots, and they completely approve." Tony and Daniella smiled hopefully.

Katie sighed, knowing that she was going to regret her decision, but she was in gratitude for what they had done for her in the past. "Alright, fine. I'll do it. But, this is the last time."

James suddenly returned from the restroom, "Hey, did you know your soaps smell like rainforest, strawberries and cotton candy? I spent like ten minutes, just standing there, sniffing them."

"Daniella, look! It's James Diamond." Tony yelped, as he rushed forward to grab James' hand. "Mr. Diamond, it is an honour to meet you. You have amazing bone-structure, look at those cheekbones."

James looked awkward, as he shook Tony's hand. "Thank you?" He looked at Katie quizzically, as she bit her tongue to keep from laughing.

"Kate, how do you know James? What was he doing in your bathroom?" Daniella questioned Katie, rather excitedly. "Have you two been...,"

Katie's eyes widened and hastily answered, "Oh, no! Absolutely not. No way." She shook her head emphatically at what Daniella was implying. "James is just a friend. He stopped by to say hello."

"Goodness, Daniella, I just had the perfect thought." Tony gasped, all the while, poking and prodding at James. "What if James were to be the face of 'Cuda's cologne, 'Shockwave Shark?'"

"What?" Katie cried.

"Did you just say, 'face of 'Cuda?'" James inquired.

"That's perfect, Tony!" Daniella replied at the same time that Katie and James spoke. "Oh gracious. What if we teamed 'Shockwave Shark' and 'Electric Eel' together and campaigned it as his and hers fragrances? Quick, get Marshall on the phone."

Tony nodded frantically and scrambled out the door to make a phone call to the cosmetics company.

Daniella turned back to the two speechless bodies in front of her. "Oh, and we can do the shoot right here. I love that idea you have, Kate−sexual relations in the office," referring to her belief that James and Katie were more than friends. "It's completely scandalous. All we have to do is pull the blinds to cover the windows, natural light just won't do in this situation." Daniella shook her head as she studied the office.

"Stop! Just, stop." Katie screamed, holding up her hands. Daniella refocused her attention on Katie, while James sat down on her couch. "It was one thing to get me to model for you, but now you want me to represent the fragrance in a dual campaign, with _James_? I can't do it. I mean," Katie pointed at James in desperation, "he's not even a model."

James continued to sit on the couch, bemused at Katie's frustration.

"Oh, Button, that's nothing we can't handle. He is already a singer and an actor. The next step for him is to endorse a 'Cuda Cosmetics product. All we have to do is get his team on board." Daniella turned to James, "James, sweetheart, who is your manager?"

James' smile grew impossibly larger. "You're standing in front of her." Katie could have slapped him at that moment. James, once again, sensed Katie's impending fury, jumped up and cried, "Katie, can I talk to you for a sec?" and pulled Katie into the washroom and locked the door.

Katie wrestled out of his grip. "What, James?"

"Katie, before you do anything drastic, like say, refusing to let me do this. You do remember that I've always wanted to be the face of 'Cuda. This is my one chance to fulfil that dream, I get to finally endorse a product for 'Cuda Cosmetics, and not for their senior line." James stated, referring to the first modelling job that Katie booked for him.

Katie turned around and banged her head against the door. "I've only been your manager for twenty minutes, and you're already making me regret every second of it."

"So you'll let me do it?" James asked, hopefully.

Still leaning her forehead against the door, Katie held up a finger, "On one condition, you have to remain _professional_ during the whole shoot."

"Hey, when I'm working, I am the king of professionalism," James huffed, and for good measured added, "and there's a rumour that I might get an Academy Award for Best Actor this year."

Katie turned around to face him. "You haven't even been nominated."

"Yet." James pointed out before clapping his hands together, "Come on, Katie. Please? I've done plenty of shoots before." Katie knew that he was referring to the various magazine photo-shoots had done for BTR and for his solo career.

Katie groaned before opening the door. "Come on."

Tony and Daniella were talking animatedly, while pointing to various areas of Katie's office. Katie assumed that Daniella had told Tony what she had envisioned for the ad. Once spotted, Tony broke out in a huge grin. "Good news, darling, the company thinks that it is a fantastic idea to have James come on board. They've seen _Blank Paper,_ and they think that it would be perfect timing to promote 'Cuda and James, together. They were worried, at first, about the possible lower projections they would have for 'Electric Eel.' I convinced them that featuring you, a relative nobody, would be more incentive for females to buy their product. Our story states that it's possible for anyone who wears the perfume will be able to catch the attention of James Diamond."

"Gee, thanks." Tony shrugged apologetically at Katie's apparent offence at being termed, 'a nobody.'

"So, Button? Are we all set to go here?" Daniella asked.

Katie took a breath before answering, "Yes."

Cheers came from the three other occupants in the room. "Excellent. Kate, darling, we'll be by to do the shoot tomorrow. We'll bring all the paperwork that need to be signed, as well. Say, ten, tomorrow morning? Great." Tony answered his own question, entering the information into his phone calendar.

"What, so soon?" Katie asked.

"We told you, Button, this was an emergency." Daniella replied, as she walked out of Katie's office.

"Ciao, darling. Good-bye James." Tony blew them air kisses as he followed after Daniella.

When the door closed behind them, James spun Katie around and lifted her off her feet, in a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Katie."

Katie returned the hug. "Don't mention it." James set her on the ground. "Besides, it's kind of my job now to help you keep your house and your cars now, isn't it?"

"And you're doing perfectly, so far." Katie smiled at James' enthusiasm. She glanced a look at her wall clock.

"Oh, we should meet up with the guys." Katie walked to her filing cabinet to ruffle through the various film scripts that she had put away; she needed to find her extra copy of the script, for the role she wanted Carlos to take a look at. She held the script to her chest once she found it. She went to grab her bag and smiled up at James, "Let's go."

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><p>AN: Well I hope you guys liked it! I also hope it played off well, sometimes, things are funnier in my head, then they actually are...

Like always, would really love to hear your opinions on HM. -D


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hi Readers! I'm really trying to seriously hash out as many chapters as I possibly can before I reach a writer's block, which happens a lot and then deters me from continuing writing. All of your support has kept me motivated to continue, so thank you! Words can only express how much gratitude I feel for you guys.

Disclaimer: Do not own the band, the show or anything related thereof.

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><p>"Hey, Katie," said James as he turned off the radio.<p>

"Yeah?"

The car ride to Rocque Records had so far been silent; the two were content to listening to the radio, as they cruised through the city.

He looked over at her, in the passenger seat, when they reached a red light. "I'm sorry."

Katie gave him a surprised look from behind her sunglasses. "For what?"

James continued, "I wasn't actually there for you, at all, these past couple of years. I was completely wasted at your twenty-first birthday, I missed your graduation, I only stopped by for like, five minutes, at your company launch party." James looked away, ashamed, as he continued to drive. "I didn't even invite you to the _Blank Paper_ premiere."

"James, I−"

"Shut up for a sec, 'kay? I really need to say this." Katie closed her mouth. "You are the closest thing I have to family out here, and I've been a complete douche-bag to you. And the second that I need your help, you coming running to my rescue. But I promise," he took his hand off the shift gear, to hold up two fingers. "I will make it up to you. Scout's honour."

Katie giggled and grabbed his hand, "James, you weren't ever a boy scout." She softened her smile, touched by his sincerity. Even if they did grow far apart, and James had adapted a typical L.A. lifestyle, it seemed that he was still the boy that she grew up with, at heart. "Thank you." She paused and couldn't help but add, "But you really need to stop listening to Kendall's rants," knowing that her brother unloaded his thoughts about James not looking out for her, on him last night.

James smiled at the windshield and manoeuvred his hand over hers, on top of the gearshift, so that he was still able to drive, but hold her hand at the same time.

* * *

><p>James and Katie walked into a bizarre scene when they reached the recording studio. Carlos and Kendall were on the ground, forming a pen with their legs, as a toddler walked back and forth, between the two. Logan was sitting on the couch, cooing at a newborn baby, while Gustavo was wrestling a record out of a little boy's hands. If the two hadn't known who the children were, they would have worried greatly about the guys.<p>

Kendall looked up as two reached the end of the main hallway. "Oh, hey guys."

Katie grinned and walked toward to Logan to take the baby from him. Meanwhile, Gustavo managed to take the record, as the little boy was distracted with James' entrance.

"James!" He greeted, and ran to him.

"Hey, buddy." James said, as he scooped up the little boy. "How's my mini Max?"

"Good. Mommy is mad at daddy. He fired Susie." Max said, referring to his nanny.

"Again?" James looked up Gustavo. This was the third nanny that he had fired in two months.

"She was brainwashing my kids. They were listening music produced by Hawk." Gustavo explained like it was the most natural course of action. "I am not going to allow my kids listen to that garbage." The former bandmates all nodded in understanding.

James set Max down. "Where's Kelly?"

Gustavo blanched and whispered, "She's um, currently, indisposed."

"No. She's right here and still angry at what you did." Kelly said as she came out from Gustavo's office.

The toddler between Kendall and Carlos reacted to her entrance, "Ma-ma." Kelly smiled at her second son, Kyle, before resuming her glare at her husband. Kelly and Gustavo had married right after Max's birth and before Big Time Rush had disbanded. While Kendall, James and especially Carlos had been shocked to find out about their relationship, Logan and Katie had known the two had a stronger connection than merely co-workers.

"Hi, honey," Gustavo said nervously. "Did you find anyone?" Carlos snickered at the large man's attempt to warm up to his wife. Gustavo shot him a look, "Quiet, dog."

"Yes, and don't you dare fire her without my permission or else you'll be doing all the housework, watching the kids and sleeping on the couch for the next lifetime. So I'd watch your step, if I were you." Kelly threatened.

Just then, the baby in Katie's arms gave a wail. Kelly stepped forward to take her baby, "Come here, Stella." Even after giving birth to three children, the African American managed to maintain her athletic figure.

"Hey, Kelly," James called out as Kelly rocked her daughter. "Katie, here, is now my manager and she would like to know more about my music."

"You hired the monkey-dog's little sister to manage you?" Gustavo said in disgust as he pointed to Kendall. Max giggled at the name. Kendall pulled the little boy toward him and gave him a playful noogie.

"Well, since you never seem to pay me, when I come here to inspire you," Katie said as she stood up. "I had to find another way to make my earning." Even after twelve years, Katie remained Gustavo's muse, whenever he reached writer's block. It was something that no one in that room could explain.

Kelly laughed, "Sure, Katie. Why don't I email you everything and we'll schedule a date when we can sit down and go over everything."

"Sounds perfect."

James's phone buzzed from inside his pocket. "Oh, that might be Britney." He said as he fished around in his back pocket.

"Hot date?" Logan asked.

"So hot!" James shouted as he stepped into the recording room to answer his call.

"Hey Carlos, here's the script I wanted you to read."

"Thanks, Katie."

"Why are you giving Carlos a script?" Kendall asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Are you his manager, too?"

"No," remarked Katie at the same time that Carlos said, 'yes.'

"What?" Katie screamed, "Carlos, you don't even know if you want to be an actor."

"Yeah, but James is your client, and I want to be, too." Carlos pouted.

Katie smacked herself in the forehead. Kendall and Logan laughed, used to their friend's need for everything to be fair. James came back into the room, whistling happily.

"Everything's good?" Kendall asked, even though he knew the answer.

"I am taking Britney to a fancy restaurant for dinner, then dancing at that new nightclub and then I'm taking her back to my place for−"

"Okay, screamed Kelly. "That's enough. My kids are still in the room." James shot her a sheepish look.

"Please leave, now." Gustavo said to the guys. "I don't want my kids to catch any of your 'stupid.'"

Logan was affronted by the insult, "Hey, I'm going to be a doctor."

Katie giggled before leaning in and placing a kiss on Stella's forehead. "No prob, Gustav. We're leaving."

James reached down to grab Kyle, and placed him in Gustavo's arms while Carlos and Kendall got to their feet.

"Great seeing you guys." Kendall added before making his way to leave. Carlos gave a hug to Kelly and the kids and attempted to give one to Gustavo.

Logan was still irritated by the Gustavo's comment, "I'm not stupid." Katie sighed and grabbed his arm. "Come on, Dr. Mitchell, time to go."

"Diamond, rehearsal-tomorrow." Gustavo shouted.

"No can-do. I've got a modelling job to go to. You'll have to talk to my manager about any scheduling conflicts." James said in a hurry, before running down the hallway to leave.

Katie widened her eyes at the slow telltale signs of Gustavo's ire. She mouthed a 'sorry' to Kelly and Gustavo, and pulled Logan with her to leave.

"Uh-oh. Daddy's angry." Katie heard Max say behind her, before he giggled.

* * *

><p>Katie and Logan found the others standing outside Rocque Records, where the five had once striked against Gustavo's tyranny.<p>

"So what's the plan, baby sister?" Kendall asked.

"We, big brother, can finally hang out together." Katie replied. "Alone," she added, when she saw Carlos and Logan about to speak. "Carlos, why don't you sit down and read the script and Logan, you can go visit Dr. Hollywood." The two men nodded happily at her suggestions.

"What about me?" James asked.

"Seriously, James?"

"Hey, you're my manager now. So come on, manage me." James remarked.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Fine, why don't you go home and prep yourself for your date?"

"It's not going to take me seven hours to get ready." James replied.

"Then practice your 'model face,' for tomorrow." Katie yelled in frustration.

"Oh, good idea." James smiled, brightly.

Kendall looked at Katie in confusion. "I'll explain everything later. You two," Katie said, turning her attention back to Carlos and Logan, "Finish everything by six-thirty. I'm making dinner tonight."

James shuffled his feet, feeling left out, before snapping his finger in an apparent epiphany. "Why don't you guys come out tonight, to the nightclub, with me and Britney?"

Logan looked at him. "It's a Tuesday night, are clubs even open?"

James wrapped his arm Logan and looked at him, pityingly. "You, my friend, have been gone way too long. This is Hollywood. Every night is a weekend night."

* * *

><p>AN: What did you guys think? Gustavo and Kelly, married? Kids? o.0 J/K I actually think their relationship is hilarious in the show. I tried to keep them in character as much as possible, but, with Kelly as his wife and mother to his kids, I think Gustavo has to bow down to her somewhat. ;)

And, I know that on the show, there is already a Kyle in existence, but there are also 5 Jennifer's.

Again, all comments, reviews, alerts, favourites, etc., are much appreciated!

-D


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. We finally get to see a Katie/Kendall moment. They probably have the most adorable sibling relationship I have seen on t.v. in a very long time. I sincerely hope I do them justice.

I normally don't do this, but I would like to dedicate this chapter to my loyal reviewers, StuckAt9.99, abbyli, BTR Obssessed Fan, MissBellaDiamond and KatieXJames, for taking the time to leave such positive comments! Thanks so much, you guys!

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, favourited and/or have an alert for this story! Means the world!

Disclaimer: Don't own BTR and its references.

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><p>Katie brought Kendall back to her condo and settled her brother in her guest room. She was proud of her little abode. Over the years, she managed to incorporate her essence into her living space, including a bookcase full of comic books and magazines and a 50" LCD flat screen, with various gaming consoles. She may have developed a passion for things such as shopping and celebrity gossip, but after living with four guys during her adolescent years, Katie remained a tomboy at heart.<p>

While Kendall was showering, Katie started preparing dinner, unconsciously humming one of James' new tunes. The philandering man was still amazing at carrying Gustavo's creations. Katie was particularly attached to this song, 'Mean to Me,' as it was one of the songs where she acted as a muse to Gustavo. It was one of Katie's favourite ballads.

Katie was busy chopping up carrots, ready to make a stir-fry for dinner, when her phone vibrated on the counter. She wiped her hand clean, before picking up.

"Hello? Oh hey, Cam." Katie balanced the phone between her shoulder and cheek as she resumed her cooking. Kendall came out of his room and took a seat on one of the barstools across from her. He reached across to steal a carrot, but Katie slapped away his hand. "That asshole." Katie replied to something Camille had said. Kendall gave her an admonishing look at her language. "Yeah, absolutely. I'll see you, later." Katie stuck her neck out for Kendall to take the phone away from her.

"Who was that?" Kendall asked, as he did what she requested.

"That was Camille. That actor that Logan mentioned, Caleb, cheated on her with his co-star. Oh, the press is going to have a field day, I have to call Cam's PR person to keep this on the DL." Katie washed her hands, and grabbed her phone again. "Do you want to pick a game and set it up, while I make this call? I promise to be quick." Katie was starting to feel bad at what little time she had for her brother. Katie gave him a kiss on the cheek, before heading into her study.

* * *

><p>A short while later, Katie came out of her study to find her brother on the couch, shooting virtual zombies. The vegetables, were all chopped up neatly, waiting to be cooked. Katie wrapped her arms around her older brother from behind, knowing that he did the rest of the preparation for dinner. Kendall probably had the biggest heart out of all the people Katie knew; he was always putting others before him.<p>

"Have I told you, how awesome you are?" Katie said, letting go, to hop over the couch to sit next to him.

"Not recently." Kendall shrugged, still busy with the video game. "Come on, grab a remote, these guys are kicking my butt."

"'Kay."

"So, baby sister. You seem to be doing pretty well. All your clients sure are busy."

"I know. I'm just glad that Russell and Katy are vacationing, right now, or else, I'd definitely be in over my head." Katie said, referring to Brand and his songstress wife.

"Why don't you hire another manager for your company?" Kendall said, offhandedly. "Katie, watch it!" He cried, as a zombie attacked her on-screen persona.

Katie contemplated his suggestion. "You know, that's not such a bad idea. We would definitely gain more clients and credibility in the business."

"And you would be able to eat more. You're nothing but bones."

"I happen to be proportionally curvy," Katie smirked at her brother's apparent disgust. "I eat a _lot_. It's not my fault that I have amazing metabolism."

"Yeah, well your 'amazing metabolism,' is attracting boys to you like flies to honey. I don't like it." He paused the game and looked around her condo, dramatically. "And why don't I see any cats, shouldn't you have a cat by now?"

Katie shoved her brother, jokingly. "I can't believe you want me to be a cat-lady. And what boys? I haven't seen anyone in weeks."

"That's not what Carlos tells me."

Katie growled. "I'm going to kill Carlos." Katie huffed, "Well, what about you? Shouldn't you be providing mom with grandchildren by now?"

"I'm only twenty-eight! That's way too young for kids," Kendall squinted his eyes at his sister, "for me and _you_. In fact, you should never have biological kids. Be like Angelina Jolie and adopt." Kendall had a hard time admitting that his younger sister was growing up.

"You do realize that I'm not a v−"

"Nope! La-la-la." Kendall screamed as he covered his ears. "I can't hear you, not listening. You are not saying, what I think you're saying."

Katie laughed at her brother's immaturity, and pulled his hands away from his head. "Stop being such a hypocrite. You lost your virginity when we were still living at the Palm Woods. I mean come on, Lucy had her own apartment, you think I couldn't put two and two together when you would sneak in right before dawn."

Kendall paled. "You knew about that?"

"I'm a light sleeper. You're just lucky that Carlos snored so loudly, mom chose to sleep with her noise cancelling headphones, every night."

"You see, dear Katie," Kendall started to reply. For as long as Katie could remember, Kendall only called her 'dear Katie,' whenever he stalled for time to think of an answer, "I only set a bad example, so you can learn from my mistakes."

"Really?" Katie crossed her arms. "That's the best answer you could come up with?" Katie sighed in mock disappointment. "Relax, Kendall. I've known about sex since I was nine; and it's not like I cared how you got your rocks off, as long as you kept it out of the apartment." Katie started chuckling, remembering a certain episode in her past. "Remember that one time when you guys played a really rough game of hockey? And Cam came over and gave Logan a back massage? He was moaning so loudly that everyone thought that they were−"

"Only too vividly." Kendall interrupted.

"Mom was so shocked that she started that, 'All Doors are to Remain Open,' rule. James was so mad at Logan, that he didn't speak to him for a week." Katie was in a fit of giggles at this point in the story and Kendall joined in. When they calmed down, Katie continued, "The point is Kendall, I'm not as young and innocent as you think I am."

Kendall reached over and ruffled her hair, adoringly. "I know that," he gave her a soft smile. "But, like I said, you'll always be my ten year-old baby sister to me, which means that she does not know anything about boys, or sex and is still a virgin."

"Only in your dreams, big brother." Katie stretched, before getting off the couch. "Come on, help me with dinner and then we'll continue playing." She headed towards the kitchen.

"Sure. Even though, I already did most of the work." Kendall joked as he followed her.

As Katie placed a pot of water on top of the stove for the noodles, she contemplated on how to breach the next subject she wanted to talk to Kendall about. "So, you know that whole modelling thing that James and I brought up earlier?"

"Oh yeah, what was that about?"

"Well, it just so happened that my old friends from my modelling days, really needed my help with a 'Cuda product ad."

Kendall caught on quickly, "So you got James a job as the face of 'Cuda? He must have really loved that." He reached into the fridge to grab a water bottle.

"Yep. He did," Katie nodded, "only, the campaign is for a his and hers fragrance collection."

Kendall took a gulp of his water. "James gets to model with girl? Oh, he's _really_ going to love that." Katie remained silent, turning her back to her brother, by rustling around with the vegetables.

"Katie, what are you not telling me?" Kendall asked suspiciously, before drinking again.

Never being able to lie to her brother, she turned around and blurted, "It's me."

Kendall spurted out some water and started to choke. "What?" He screeched, in between coughs, as he bent over.

Katie rushed over, with a towel in her hand. She spewed her story quickly, while rubbing his back. "Tony and Daniella, they're the photographers, they showed up at my office, _begging_ me to do one last gig for them. I couldn't say no, because well, they were so supportive of me when I started my company. And then James came out of the washroom, going on about soaps and Tony was like, 'You're so beautiful,' to James and boom. They decided that the ad needed both of us."

Kendall stood up straight, still red in the face, and narrowed his eyes at her, "So you agreed to let James take the job?"

"I had to." Katie yelled, defensively. "He really wants this job. It's 'Cuda and it's James. How could I possibly say no to that?"

Kendall kept his eyes narrowed at his distraught sister. "Katie, you're not in love with James, are you?"

"No!" Katie denied instantly. "That's completely absurd. I mean, what possessed you to−"

"Carlos told me about your crush on James, that you had in high school."

Katie blushed. "Oh." She sighed, leaving her brother's side to sit on one of the barstools. "Kendall, you have to believe me when I say that I am not, nor will I ever be, in love with James. He is an egotistic womanizer who just happens to be your best friend, and now my client." She paused, studying Kendall's face. "I only crushed on James in high school because he was the unattainable; he was a pop-star _and_ my older brother's best friend. If I didn't have a crush on him, then you should be worried."

Kendall still looked at her skeptically.

"Kendall, I grew out of it. Like any other teenager, boys my age, started to become more appealing."

Finally believing her, Kendall nodded his head, slowly. Katie sighed in delight. "Oh thank goodness. I need a drink." She promptly moved to her fridge to look for a beer.

Forgetting about his belief that Katie was anything older than ten, Kendall agreed, "Me too."

* * *

><p>Katie placed the last plate of stir-fry before Logan, before seating herself at the dinner table.<p>

Carlos leaned in and gave an audible sniff. "Katie, this smells so good."

"What are you waiting for? Dig in." Katie grinned, while picking up her fork.

Katie ate quietly, waiting for the verdict from the guys. She grinned, when all of them started to wolf down the noodles, after the first bite.

Thrown off by the silence in the room, Katie decided to make conversation. "So Carlos, what did you think of the script?"

Carlos turned to her and nodded enthusiastically, with his mouth full. He swallowed, audibly before replying. "I love it. Peter," Carlos said, referring to the character, "is so cool. I mean, he's not cool, because he is dorky, but he's so cool." Katie smiled at Carlos' incoherency, understanding that Carlos loved the character's actions.

"See? I told you, you would like it. Do you want to audition for the role? I can contact the studio and let them know."

"Yeah, and I want to do my own stunts." Carlos added. Kendall and Logan widened their eyes and paused in their chewing. The three of them knew that Carlos had the potential to seriously hurt himself and others if Carlos were to do the stunts.

"We'll see what the studio wants." Katie said, evading an agreement of his demand.

"Awesome!" Carlos cried, excitedly.

"So, Logan. How was your day?" Kendall asked his scholarly friend.

"It went well. I went to see Dr. Hollywood, and was his 'deputy doctor' for the day, again. I actually got to do some hands-on stuff. Get this," Logan began to grin, "Dr. Hollywood is thinking about retiring in the next few years or so and, he wants me to take over his practice."

"Logan, that's amazing!" Katie stated, thrilled with the prospective opportunity. Kendall patted Logan's back in congratulations, while Carlos reached across for a fist-bump.

"Yep, and he says that he can probably pull some strings at his hospital, so that I can do my residency there."

Katie, Kendall and Carlos considered what Logan had just said. Carlos spoke first, "Does that mean..."

Logan's grin grew even wider. "I'm moving back to California!"

The three of them cheered, even louder than before. Katie stood up, "This calls for some wine." She made her way into her kitchen and searched through her wine-rack for the perfect complementary alcohol to her meal. "Hey, Kendall, can you help me grab some glasses, please?" Katie called over to the table.

"Sure," Kendall got up and headed to the kitchen, but stopped when someone knocked on the front door. "I'll get it."

Kendall opened the door wide, and there stood Camille Roberts. Her wavy brown hair was in a partial up-do, with fly-aways pointing in every direction. Her make-up was running down her face and her cardigan was put on inside-out. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Kendall. "Kendall?" She said in confusion.

A loud thud could be heard from behind Kendall. Camille looked around him to see what was the commotion. Logan had knocked over his chair, when he hastily stood up, shocked by her sudden presence. "Camille?" He walked towards the door, as she made her way into the apartment. "A-wha," Logan stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that." Camille replied, rubbing her face even more, trying to clean up her appearance.

"Visiting." Logan answered, simply. "I, um, I'm starting my residency, soon. A break. Med students break. You know, 'fore we start." Logan tried to explain in broken English.

Camille didn't seem to notice. "That sounds great," she said dreamily. Katie cleared her throat. "Oh, hi Katie." Cam looked into the kitchen. Upon seeing the brunette, Camille seemed to have come back to her sense. "We, I..."

"Come on, we'll talk in my study." Katie helped her out. "You guys can open the wine, we'll be out in a few minutes." Katie gently led Camille away from the guys.

Once in the room, Camille started bombarding Katie with questions. "Why is Logan, here? How come you didn't tell me? He probably thinks I look hideous. I look hideous, right? Ugh, Katie, how could you possibly let him see me like this?"

Katie didn't know which question to answer first, so she reached for her tissue box and handed it to Camille to wipe her face. "I spoke to Cathleen and she said that she's handling the Caleb issue. She already spun a story to _VMZ_ about the break-up being amicable." Camille nodded, in understanding. "However, you know what the press is like, they'll eventually get wind of the real story, so you'll have to play it up like it you're not really affected by anything. Cathleen will probably want to go over the details with you tomorrow."

"Okay." Camille, continued to nod, now pulling off her cardigan, to put it on right.

Katie was worried about her friend. "How are you holding up, Cam?"

"I'm okay. I mean, that asshole rattled me up, but we weren't together for very long. It's just, it's embarrassing, being cheated on." Camille explained. "And now, Logan...what will he think?"

"Cam, it's Logan. He'll take it in stride, sort of." Katie said, trying to reassure her friend, but remembered Logan's ability to hold a grudge. "Besides, do you really want to hop on that train again? Only a few hours after you broke up with your boyfriend?"

"No, you're right." Cam sighed and stood up. "How do I look?"

Katie grimaced, "How about you fix your hair, while I make a quick phone call to the movie studio?"

* * *

><p>The two girls returned to the dining room, with Camille looking much more presentable. The guys had cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. Carlos was flipping through the channels on her t.v., but turned it off when he saw that they had returned.<p>

"Thanks, guys." Katie said, once she saw what they had done. She glanced at the clock. "Oh, I better change before we meet up with James." She turned to Camille. "Hey, Cam, do you want to come with us? We're headed over to _Hydra_."

"I don't know, I'm kind of worn out from everything that happened today."

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to stay with you and we can chat or watch a movie?" Katie replied, not wanting to leave her friend.

"I'll stay." Logan jumped in. "I mean, if you don't mind. I mean, I never really liked nightclubs, and we could, you know, catch-up," he said eagerly, staring at Camille the whole time.

Camille gave him a smile. "I'd like that."

"Okay, so Katie, you go change, and Carlos and I will wait, right here." Kendall said, clapping his hands together.

Katie looked at Camille and Logan, "You guys can stay here, if you want. Feel free to anything in the kitchen. Just remember to lock the door, before you leave. I have a spare key, hidden underneath the potted plant, at the end of the hallway."

Kendall gave her a look of disbelief. "That's not obvious, at all," he said, sarcastically.

"Hey, it's the only place I could keep it. I thought it would be less obvious, than if I dug it into the soil. Now, excuse me, I have to go change," Katie huffed, before exiting the room.

* * *

><p>AN: So we have the return of Camille! Hmmm... =) I hope you all liked it, please leave a review.

-D


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello Readers! I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your positive responses!

Just a fair warning in advanced, this chapter isn't as humorous as the other chapters. Actually, this chapter was one of those that kind of just came out as I was writing, even I didn't expect where it ended up! :) But, I liked it enough to keep it and I hope you do too!

Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush-band or show and I don't have any legal rights to any celebrities mentioned by name.

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><p>Katie, Carlos and Kendall finally reached the club after various outfit changes made by Katie. Kendall would not agree to let his sister leave the house in anything that made her look 'trampy.' After, the fifth consecutive shut down, Katie gave up and threatened to phone Jennifer Knight and tell her about the dirt she had on Kendall, which she had accumulated over the years. Kendall, finally, albeit reluctantly, agreed.<p>

Katie called James, when they stepped out of the cab, in front of the nightclub.

"Hey, James, we're here." The three of them stood to the side, away from the surprisingly long line-up. Katie could only hear loud, pumping music, blaring from her phone when James tried to speak. "What? I can't...James, I can't hear you!" Katie screamed. The music in the background became muffled, Katie assumed that James managed to step into another room.

"I said, I'll be out in a sec." James repeated, much more audibly.

"Oh, okay." Katie hung up the call and told the other guys that James was coming. Katie unconsciously pulled down on her navy blue dress that reached mid-thigh, when she heard more than one appreciative whistle, directed at her, coming from the line. She glanced a look at Kendall, hoping that he wouldn't notice, she didn't want to see his I-told-you-so look, so early into the night.

"Hey guys, over here." James called, from behind the velvet line and the two burly bouncers. He looked at the aforementioned, "They're with me." The two guys scanned over Kendall, Carlos and Katie and gave a slight nod, before allowing them through.

Inside _Hydra_, Katie could feel the music beating through her core. She also felt James slip his hand onto her lower back, leading her to his private booth. He leaned in and placed his lips near her ear, "You look amazing, Katie."

Katie smiled, a compliment from James, meant that she had to look good. Not that Katie was ever really self-conscious about her looks, considering she was a model. Even if she weren't, Katie wasn't the type of girl to let media dictate what was beautiful and what wasn't. Katie had the confidence that most girls in Hollywood lacked; those who did have it, often turned their air of confidence into arrogance.

Once the group reached the booth, Katie came face-to-face with the epitome of a girl with arrogant confidence. The woman was definitely beautiful, in the plastic, overly-tanned, overly-bleached kind of way. The second that she spotted Katie, she gave her the two-second look over, and decided that Katie wasn't worthy-enough to deem as competition. She plastered on a fake smile and stood up. While Katie knew that her own dress was short, she thought that it looked positively matronly compared to what the girl was wearing.

James moved from behind Katie and toward the girl to introduce everyone. "Guys, this is Britney. Britney, this is Kendall, Carlos and Katie." He pulled Britney to his side, with a wide grin on his face. Katie couldn't help but think that James' taste in women, took a complete Californian nose-dive. He used to date girls who were not only pretty, but were able to hold an intelligent conversation. Katie imagined that Britney wasn't they type of girl who knew the difference between climate change and the global economic crisis. While it may seem cynical for Katie to judge Britney so quickly, she noted how the blonde's _assets_ were about to fall out of her dress.

Without even looking, Katie knew that Carlos and Kendall just fist-bumped each other, behind her back.

Britney, still giving that smile that never quite reached her eyes, gave Katie a pull and yanked her down to sit. "It's so nice to meet you. We're going to have such an awesome time." Britney's voice squeaked out. Her acrid perfume assaulted Katie's nose and Katie did her best not to start coughing.

Katie plastered on an awkward smile of her own, "Yeah..." She looked over at the guys. James was silently asking her if she approved and Carlos and Kendall knew exactly what was going on in her mind as they had identical smirks on their faces.

"You know," Katie slipped her hand from Britney's vice-like grip. "I'm just going to go and get a drink, I'll be right back."

James gave her a confused look, "Uh, there's probably going to be someone coming to take our orders, soon."

Katie stood up, "Yeah, but I like ordering at the bar," she falsified, "it makes it more...authentic." James furrowed his eyebrows even more.

"Oh, don't worry, Katie. The drinks that we order here, are real too. They don't give fake drinks. That's, like, totally illegal." Britney butt in, completely misunderstanding Katie's point.

Katie's eyes widened, she knew that if she stayed in the vicinity any longer, James wasn't going to go home with Britney that night. Katie could only stand so much stupidity, for so long. Carlos and Kendall were ribbing each other as they covered their snickers behind their hands. It was a sign of how low Britney's IQ was, when James too, gave her a look of disbelief.

Katie let out a forced chuckle. "Yeah, call me paranoid, I just want to make sure that they don't give me something 'fake.'"

"Oh, that's so smart. Isn't that smart, Jamsey?" Britney cooed, batting her false lashes at James.

"Absolutely. So smart." James replied, huskily, leaning forward, towards his date. Seeing their friend entering a 'zone,' Carlos and Kendall started to help themselves to the bottle of vodka, James had already ordered. Katie herself, didn't want to stand around to watch James exchange saliva with the blonde.

"Okay, I'm just gonna, ah forget it." Katie mumbled, noticing that no one was paying attention to her. She made her way out of the closed off booth and walked towards the bar. As she tried to flag down a bartender, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see who it was. "Michael? Hi," Katie flushed at seeing her ex. "What are you doing, here?"

"Hi Kate," he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "I'm here, on a date, actually." He said, trying to be modest. The bartender finally reached them and asked for their order. "Oh, let me," Michael interjected, "still an apple martini?" Katie nodded, affirmatively. Michael placed the order, and continued talking. "Yeah, she's a friend of a friend. Sweet girl. Friends' decided that I needed to get back out there." Michael let out a chuckle. Katie smiled and nodded. The two stood at the bar, letting the pounding music fill the silence until the bartender returned with their drinks.

"Well, thanks Michael, it was great seeing you." Katie said, grabbing her drink and headed back to the booth, wanting to get away from this awkward encounter.

"Kate, wait," Michael called, reaching her when they were in front of the blue velvet rope that blocked off the booth. She could see Kendall, Carlos and James eyeing Michael, warily.

"Yes?"

"It's just," Michael started, making awkward hand gestures. Katie recognized this as a sign of his nervousness. "You never told me why you're here."

"Um, Michael? Don't take this the wrong way, but isn't your date waiting for you?"

"Oh, she's taking a call, or something. She probably doesn't even realize I'm missing." He tried to joke. He sighed, sensing that Katie was getting tired of his pointless dialogue. "Listen, Kate, I really miss you and I just wanted to apologize for how jealous I was about the time you spent working when we were together. When I think about it, I realize how stupid I'd been. I could have been more understanding. I really want to give us another chance."

Katie was flabbergasted. Michael was a sweet guy, but his dependency on her, overwhelmed her, and it wasn't something that she looked for in a guy. "Oh, Michael..."

He stopped her, before she could continue, "Why don't you think about it, and get back to me?" He leaned forward hesitantly, and placed another kiss on her cheek. "Call me." He gave a small smile and walked away.

Katie sighed, before returning to the booth and taking a seat. All the occupants' eyes were on her.

Britney broke the silence, first. "Who was that? He was totally digging you! Did you get his digits?"

Katie gave her, what she hoped was a good attempt at a real smile, before answering. "That was Michael."

Carlos leaned in, "You mean, _Michael_-Michael?" Katie nodded before taking a sip of her drink.

"Who's Michael? And why were his lips all over your face?"

Katie looked at the speaker, surprisingly it was James and not Kendall, though his tone would have done her brother proud. She looked over at said brother and saw that he was too interested in the answer.

"Michael is my ex-boyfriend. He wants to get back together."

Britney gushed in the corner, going on about how sweet it was. Kendall and Carlos exchanged looks with Katie, but before they could speak, James spat out, "Like that's gonna happen."

Katie narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Excuse me?"

The guys automatically recognized Katie's dangerous tone, but James couldn't keep his thoughts to himself, "I mean, did you see him? His," He pointed viciously in Michael's general direction. "His hairline was receding and he couldn't have been a day over twenty-five. Not to mention, he reeked of desperation, the way that he kept eyeing you."

Katie couldn't believe James' audacity and pure shallow nature. She slowly put her glass down, and got up. "Kendall, I'll see you at home. Carlos, I'll call you tomorrow." She turned to leave, without bothering to wait for any acknowledgement of her rapid departure.

James followed her, leaving Britney in the company of Carlos and Kendall. "Katie, where are you going?" He reached out and grabbed Katie's arm to stop her, causing her to shiver from the contact. Katie shrugged it off immediately and ignored her physical reaction. "Katie," He forcefully turned her so that they were facing each other. They had made it to the entrance of the nightclub, the music was muted by the steel doors that separated the foyer from the dance floor. James tilted her head, so that Katie was looking at him. "Please." Her narrowed eyes glared at James' pleading ones. She again, removed his hands from her.

"I don't think this partnership is going to work."

James' eyes widened at the sudden change of conversation. "What? Why?"

"James, I don't want to work for anyone who places so much value on physical appearance, that they completely disregard everything else."

He took a step back, "Katie, you know how much I care about aesthetics, I've always been this way. I carry a mirror and a comb in my pocket, for crying out loud."

"But you used to care about integrity too. Friendship, loyalty, those things mattered to you too." Katie cried, poking her finger in his chest. "You just insulted someone based on their hairline! Michael happens to be a very sweet human being who happens to hold a degree from Harvard. And really? Britney?" Katie was letting out all that she kept in from that short night.

"What about her?" James asked, now starting to feel defensive.

"You mean besides the fact that she's so plastic, she could possibly melt, if left too long in sunlight? She has a brain the size of a peanut!"

"Look who's being judgemental, now. Just because Britney's not smart, like your precious _Michael_," James hissed, "doesn't mean that she isn't a good person. And, I still care about things like friendship and loyalty."

"Oh yeah? Where were you when I was hospitalized from malnutrition, two weeks go?"

"I−what? Katie, you were in the hospital?" James asked, voice softening in concern.

Katie did not mean to let that slip out, but she couldn't help responding to James' belief that he was the same person he was ten years ago. She had been overworking herself, forgetting to eat meals on occasion and fainted during a meeting with Russell Brand. He discreetly sent Katie to the closest hospital and demanded that she stay away from work for a month, it was why he and Katy Perry decided to go on vacation.

Katie sighed, "Forget it."

"No. Katie, how come you didn't call me?" James demanded.

"Call you? James, why would I call you? We haven't spoken in months. The only reason we're speaking now, is because Kendall, Logan and Carlos are in town," Katie bitterly snapped.

"You know that's not true."

"Isn't it?"

"Listen, Katie, just because I said that you're like the only family I have out here, doesn't make you the centre of my universe." James yelled in frustration, but regretted it at once, seeing the disappointment on Katie's face. "Katie. Katie, I didn't mean−"

"Goodnight, James." Katie said aggressively. She fled out the door and James didn't try to stop her.

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><p>AN: Intense ending! Also, I don't personally believe that all Californians are into plastic surgery and tanning but, Katie's a cynical person at this moment.

Also, this chapter is a milestone for me, as it will mark Hollywood Management as my longest piece of work that I have up on fanfiction. Hurray, j/k.

Like always, please leave a review of your thoughts and comments.

Thanks!

-D


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Here's the next installment! This one is full of James and Katie action, which I hope will satisfy your appetites!

Thanks again for the support, quick shoutout to my regular reviewers: Abbyli (when are you updating your story?) and StuckAt9.99 (you're so sweet, thanks for the motivation).

Disclaimer: Only the OC's and story are mine.

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><p>Katie woke up the next morning, feeling worn out and tired. She glanced at her alarm clock. "Shit." She quickly scrambled out of bed and hurriedly ran into her closet to find something decent to wear. She had wanted to wake up early to call Tony and Daniella to cancel the shoot, or at least tell them to find a new spokesperson for 'Electric Eel.' After last night's incident, she didn't want to work with James Diamond. She didn't want to see him or speak to him. However, it was now nine in the morning, and Tony and Daniella were probably setting up her office for the photo shoot, she would have to speak to them in person about this.<p>

Once dressed, Katie went over to the guest room to peek in and see if Kendall got in last night. She had crashed the second she got home, Logan and Camille, nowhere in sight. Seeing the lumpy form on the bed, Katie shut the door and tiptoed away. She'd let Kendall sleep in. Katie, grabbed a banana, before heading out the door.

* * *

><p>When Katie got to her office lobby, Mags quickly stood up to greet her. "Hey Mags," Katie noticed the loud clattering that was coming from inside her office. "Are Tony and Daniella in my office? Good, I really need to speak to them."<p>

"No, I mean," Mags shouted, stopping Katie in her tracks. "They're in the supply closet, down the hall. They were looking for a large tarp."

"A tarp? They usually have everything with them." Katie wondered, suspiciously.

"Would you like me to go get them?" Mags asked, slowly.

"No, it's okay, I'll get them. I have to talk to them anyway." Katie said as she handed her purse to Mags to place behind the receptionist's desk.

Katie made her way down the hall, hearing rustling coming from inside the closet. She opened the door and was confused to find it completely dark.

"Hello−oh!" An arm had pulled Katie into the supply closet. She heard the distinct click of the door being locked.

"Who is this? What do you want from me?" Katie readied herself by placing her arms up. She hoped that her years boxing at the gym would help her against her attacker. She heard the person come closer and swiftly punched forward.

"Oomph. Seriously?" A pained voice called out, as the person tumbled to the ground.

"What the hell? James?" Katie reached up and tried to find the light switch. She pulled on the string to turn on the light. Sure enough, James Diamond was curled up on the floor, hugging his abdomen.

"Hey, Katie." He slowly got up. Katie looked up at the man before her. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a disaster and a five o'clock shadow was forming.

"Care to explain why you cornered me in a supply closet?" She said, crossing her arms.

"Katie, I'm so sorry." James pleaded, grabbing her shoulders. "I didn't mean anything that I said, last night. I was drunk, I was stupid and I was horny. Britney, she was just there, I mean, I didn't even take her home last night."

"So, you just left her there like she was trash?" Katie asked, defensively.

"What?" James was confused, only last night, Katie had said some awful things about the girl. Katie knew that she was being irrational, but looking at the man, made her blood boil. "No, Katie, shut up." Katie narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just need to explain myself. What I meant was, Britney is a very nice girl, but she's not important to me." He grabbed Katie's lips with his fingers when she opened them to speak. "No, I'm not finished." He focused his hazel eyes on her brown ones. Their faces, a mere couple inches apart. "She's not important, but you are. Katie, I felt like such an ass, last night. I couldn't believe that I let you walk away, so angry with me. I couldn't even sleep, thinking about what I said to you. Even, Kendall and Carlos gave me the cold shoulder. I know I don't deserve it, but Katie, can you forgive me?"

James released her lips, but kept their proximity. Katie could feel the heat radiating off him. She didn't know what it was about this man, but she could never stay mad at him; she was constantly drawn into him. "You're still self-centred." Katie said, looking at his chest.

James smiled, knowing that Katie's comment meant that she didn't hate him as much. "I know, I'll _try_ to deflate my ego. It won't be easy, but I'll try."

Katie couldn't help the tug at the corner of her mouth. "Fine. I forgive you, but one more wrong move, mister, and that's it. I'm leaving. And, I'm sorry, too. I was acting like a drama queen, something I promise is not usually like me."

James laughed and pulled her into a hug, which she returned. "Thank you, Katie." The two stood there, embracing each other for longer than necessary. "Hey, Katie?" James said, above her head.

"Yeah?"

"I meant it, when I said that you are important to me." His grip on her tightened. "I could never live with myself if I lost you."

Katie pulled back, so that she was able to look up at him. "Me too." She whispered. The two looked at each other for another moment, before James leaned in, slightly. Katie, hastily took a step back, pushing James away. "We should get back. Tony and Daniella are waiting."

James ruffled his hair, confused at what just happened. "Right." He turned around and fiddled with the lock, before opening the door.

The two walked silently, side-by-side, down the hall. Mags spotted them, giving Katie an apologetic look. "Katie, I'm so sorry."

Katie held up her hand. "It's fine, Mags. We're good, now, thanks." Katie spared James a glance before heading into the office.

"Ah, there you are darling! And James, too. Wonderful. What do you think?" Tony asked, as he pointed around the room. The transformation was startling. The computer was taken off the desk and the blinds were drawn all the way in, the windows themselves were covered with black cardboard, so that no natural light could filter in. Facing the desk were multiple lights and reflectors.

"Oh, Button, good you're here." Daniella said, as she strolled out of Katie's washroom which was transformed into a temporary dressing room. She pulled out a couple of contracts from the folder she was holding and handed it to Katie. "Here, take a look at these darling and sign at the bottom. Oh, what am I saying, you clearly know what to do, I expect you have contacted James' agent about this matter? Once you're finished, the team in your washroom is ready for you and there's another team, in the room next door," referring to Katie's spare office, 'waiting for James."

"Thanks, Daniella. Just give me a minute to look over these. Why don't you take James over there, and get started?" Katie suggested.

"Perfect." Daniella grabbed James' arm and pulled him along with her.

Katie took a seat and started to read the contracts. Once she read everything, and was satisfied, she signed and dated her copy of the contract. She quickly faxed over a copy of James' contract to Chris, having obtained James' business information yesterday. She walked over to the next room, where James was getting his hair and make-up done. "Hey, these look good, so all you have to do is wait for Chris's approval and then sign and date."

James smiled at her through the mirror. "Awesome."

Katie gave a smile in return. "I should probably get back, got to get ready too."

"Oh yeah, of course." James nodded.

"See you in a bit." Katie waved, before leaving. When she was safely inside her own office, she smacked herself in the head. She just wanted to stop being so awkward around James. She shook her head and headed to the washroom. The styling team immediately got to work, primping Katie, until she was almost unrecognizable. Her hair soon fell in loose waves, framing her face. Her cheekbones stood out prominently, her lips were glossed a deep red and her eyes were piercing behind a veil of dark smoke. Her wardrobe consisted of a black, high-waisted, pencil skirt that reached her knees with a slit along the back. The skirt was paired with a cream coloured, scoop-neck, silky tank top.

Daniella came back into the room and handed her a clear bottle filled with a bluish, purple liquid. "Is this it?" Katie asked, taking the bottle and sniffing the content. She was happy to say that the smell was decent, something she wasn't sure that 'Cuda Cosmetics could pull off.

"It's the prototype bottle. But yes, that's it. Come on now, they're ready."

Katie followed Daniella into her office. She spotted James immediately. He was posing for some individual shots in a tailored black business suit. His hair was slicked back, his face was clean-shaven, and he was wearing prop glasses. Katie assumed that James had gotten the green light from his agent.

"Beautiful, just so beautiful." Tony gushed as he ran around, shooting James from different angles.

Daniella cleared her throat and the two men directed their gazes to Katie. Katie saw James' eyes widen with the sight of her. "Are you finished with James? I think we should do shots for Kate, now."

"Yes, yes of course. Ah, Kate, darling, you look brilliant, as usual. Come, come." Tony ushered her onto the backdrop. "James, you can take a seat on the couch while we shoot Kate."

"Now, Button, you are 'Elizabeth Benton,' a fierce business woman, who takes charge in her office. You are confident, sexy and you know it." Daniella told her. After working with Katie over a number of years, Daniella understood that Katie did her best work when she played a role and wasn't modelling as herself.

Katie smiled at Daniella's aid, and nodded. Katie quickly and easily placed her best 'all-and mighty' face on for the camera. She needed to lure the camera in with her sexual appeal, yet let it be known that she was boss. After fifteen minutes of contouring her body for the best angles, and a couple of dozen photos later, they were ready to move on to the dual ad.

James and Katie exchanged awkward smiles, when Tony pulled James onto the backdrop.

"James, sit down in the chair, and Kate, you are going to straddle him and lean in towards his neck. Grab on to his tie. I'll take those glasses." Daniella instructed, as she took the glasses off of James' face. "And for Pete's sake, stop looking so nervous and start looking intimate."

James looked around awkwardly as he sat in the seat, parallel to the desk, wondering where to place his hands. As if the role of the character possessed her, Katie smirked down at him, as she sat down on top of him. "I thought you said, you would be professional." She challenged, using her right hand to grab his tie and the other perched behind his head. She tossed her head, so that her hair would cascade on one side of her face, so that it wouldn't obscure the camera's view.

James' hazel eyes darkened with intensity. He pulled Katie forward, with one hand holding on her waist, and the other on her neck. He pulled Katie down so that her stained lips grazed his. "I said I would be, and so I am." It was as if everyone else in the room had disappeared and left only them. The two stared at each other for a moment before James grabbed on the back of Katie's thighs and roughly stood up. She held on to him as he manoeuvred them to the side of the desk. Katie, at this point, had loosened the tie and unbuttoned the top of James' shirts. He gently laid her down along it's length, careful not to stab her with decorative pens and crawled over her. He slowly ran his nose long her neck and collarbone, inhaling her scent. Katie could feel his harsh breath, causing goosebumps to raise on her skin. His hands travelled down her sides, leaving a trail of a burning sensation. She propped herself up slightly, and pulled his face towards hers. Their lips again, grazed each other's, their breaths mingled, neither one uttering a word.

"And that was perfect." Daniella's voice rang through, breaking the static in the room.

Katie quickly let go of James and he jumped off the desk. Both of them cleared their throats, looking anywhere but each other.

"Well, I must say, you two certainly have chemistry. 'Cuda Cosmetics is going to eat this up." Daniella smirked, noting the flushed faces of the two models.

Tony was near tears, "That had to be the most intense and beautiful shoot, we have ever done. It was magic, pure magic."

Katie ran a hand through her hair. "I'm just going to go change, now. Did you want to stick around and go over anything?" She asked Daniella and Tony.

"Oh no, Button, we're done for the day. We'll call you soon, to go over the proofs." Daniella smiled.

"Okay, I'll call you then," Katie promptly ran out of the room.

James stood there, smiling to himself, unconsciously running a couple fingers back and forth along his lower lip.

"James, sweetheart, you can go change too," Daniella said.

"Oh, right. Thanks," he replied, and headed over to his change room.

Daniella shook her head, as she thought of the two models.

* * *

><p>After wiping off the excess make-up and changing into more comfortable clothes. Katie sat, with her head in her hands, while everyone hustled around her to clean up. She couldn't believe what had happened on set. There was no way to deny the sexual tension that radiated between Katie and James. The crew had finished cleaning up the room and left. Katie sighed, still looking into her hands, "He's just hot. He's like your brother. He's a womanizer. You were acting. He's a client. This isn't <em>real<em>." Katie mumbled to herself, trying to negate any possible, and highly irrational, feelings to surface.

"Um, Katie?"

Katie turned her head and looked at the open door, she blushed when she saw the man currently occupying her thoughts. "Hey, James," her eyes widened when she realized what he just walked in on. "Please tell me, you didn't hear me."

"Only the end, something about something not being real," James answered, truthfully.

"I was, I was just..." Katie trailed off, for the first time, at a loss for words.

James spoke, knowing she didn't really have anything to say. "About what happened, during the shoot. I think we kind of, you know, maybe we," he stopped. Like Katie, the words just couldn't come out. James let out a frustrated breath, as he looked up for inspiration.

Mentally, Katie calculated that there was just too much to lose, to let this, whatever _this_ was, to start. She put on the brightest smile. "What did you think of my acting?"

James quickly looked at her again, "Acting?"

"Yeah, I mean, didn't you hear? Daniella said I was playing 'Elizabeth Something or other.' I take the best photographs whenever I'm being someone else."

James' face fell, slightly. "So, you were just acting?"

Katie let out a derived laugh, "Yeah, I mean, did you think−"

"Yes," James cut in, knowing what Katie was going to say. "I did think we _both_ felt something. Even before the shoot, in the supply closet, we felt it then, too. I mean, I don't know when you stopped being family to me, but there's no way I can think of you as a little sister." He walked over to pull her out of the seat and held on to her shoulders.

Katie shook her head. "No, James. We can't do this," she flicked her fingers between the two. "I mean, we are business partners, now and the guys." Katie tried to explain. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, sadly. "You and I, James, we aren't relationship material. Right now, we have our careers to focus on, Kendall, Carlos and Logan might hate us, and you like your freedom. Do you really think that you can risk everything to be with me, because we had a couple of intense moments?"

James looked down at her, mulling over her words. "No," he let go of her, "I don't think I can." He took a step back. "Katie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," his face was in anguish, thinking of how he let her down.

Katie walked into his arms and hugged him, even though she did feel a pang of rejection. "It's okay," she said. "I would have said the same thing." Katie pulled away and smiled gently.

James gave a small smile in return, and placed his hands in his pockets, "Friend zone?"

"Friend zone."

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><p>AN: What an emotional roller-coaster, and I know, I completely tease at the end, but we can't have James and Katie fall in love that quickly now can we? ;)

Like always, I would love to hear what you think about this, so please leave a review!

-D


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey All! So here's the update! I don't think it's the greatest chapter, but it is necessary in the scheme of things.

Again thank you so much for the positive reviews, 41 to date, I can't believe it! Hopefully, we'll reach 50 soon!

[marykateluvsu]: Very perceptive of you to notice that. Trust me when I say that it was intentional, I don't want to give away too much ;)

Disclaimer: Big Time Rush characters are not mine.

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><p>"So you wanna come over later with Carlos and Logan? We can order a pizza with anchovies and watch Logan scream with terror when he eats it." Katie asked as they got off the elevator.<p>

James grimaced, "Katie, I don't think that's a good idea."

Katie nodded. "I understand. Why don't you take the rest of the day off and I'll let Gustavo know that you're coming for rehearsal tomorrow," she offered, allowing time for the two to avoid each other.

James looked at her, gratefully. "Thanks Katie."

"Can you tell Carlos to come over, later? I want to take him to the studio."

"Sure," James agreed. He slowly started to make his way to his car, and Katie to hers, when he turned around and jogged to Katie's side.

"Hey Katie?"

"Yes, James?" Katie questioned, as she unlocked her door.

James looked down at Katie, seemingly getting closer. Katie held her breath in anticipation, as her eyes started to unconsciously close.

James pulled back suddenly, a sense of disappointment washed over the two of them. "Don't um, don't forget to eat. I'd rather you not end up in the hospital again."

"I will. Don't worry, I'm thinking of ways not to overwork myself again," she said, referring to Kendall's suggestion of hiring another manager for her company.

"Alright," James headed towards his car, but turned around again. "Just so you know, I would have dropped everything to make sure you were okay." His eyes and toned reflected the sincerity that Katie thought he no longer possessed.

"I know," Katie opened the door to her car, ready to leave, but called out to his retreating back. "Hey, James?"

He turned to look at her again, "Yeah?"

She gave him a small smile, "It goes both ways."

* * *

><p>Katie returned home and as promised to James, ate a bowl of canned soup, before heading into her study to address various work issues, including checking up on the paparazzi front on Camille's story. She also took this time to confirm an audition for Carlos and asked Magdalene to start a search for potential managers that could join her company. She had to remember to thank her brother for that idea. Kendall had apparently taken off, after waking up, Katie appreciated the fact that her brother could keep himself busy, while she had to work.<p>

After an hour, she heard a knock at her door, followed by a progression of rapid knocks. She grinned as she opened the door. "Hey, Carlos."

"Hey Katie-cakes, ready to go? I practiced my lines and everything; James helped me." Carlos grinned as he bounded into the condo.

Katie closed the door behind him, giggling, "Give me a minute, I just have to grab my things and we can head to the studio and make you a star."

"Wanna grab some corn-dogs on the way there?" Carlos asked as Katie grabbed her phone off her desk in her study.

Katie sighed as she leaned against her study door. "Really? You travelled the world and you still think that corn-dogs are amazing?"

"It reminds me of home!" Carlos defended.

"Come on. We have to leave now, if we want to make it to your audition and get your corn-dogs." Katie grinned.

Carlos lifted Katie and spun her around in glee, "This is why you are my favourite girl." He put her back on the ground and patted her on the head, affectionately. He walked towards the door, ready to leave.

"Hmm, I wish I could say the same," Katie said as she locked the door to the condo.

"What does that mean?" Carlos pouted.

Katie playfully punched him in the shoulder, as they made their way to the elevators. "You weren't supposed to tell Kendall about my high school crush on James. Do you realize how embarrassing it is to have your brother know that you liked one of his best friends?"

"Hey, I'm like a brother to you, and I don't think it's embarrassing. I think it's kind of cute." Carlos gently tweaked her nose.

Katie swatted his hand away, "Yes, but you're _you_. You think everything is cute." She and Carlos stepped onto the elevator and headed down to the parking lot.

"Not true, and what does it matter? It was like, seven years ago, why should it affect you now?"

"Because Kendall thinks that I still like him." Katie pointed out.

"Well, do you?" Carlos asked as they reached the parking lot.

"No," Katie said, making her way to her car, "well..." Katie stopped talking and looked over to the passenger side, where Carlos stood.

Carlos waited for Katie to continue, but gasped when he correctly read her expression. He quickly pointed his finger at her, "You like James!"

Katie unlocked the doors and both of them got into the car. "It's not as simple as a 'yes/no' question. It's James, we're talking about; he's not normally the kind of guy I fall for." En route to the studio, while making a pitstop at a restaurant for gourmet corn-dogs, Katie told Carlos everything that happened between her and James in the last couple of days. She excluded the part about her being in the hospital, because even though Carlos didn't react like her brother about relationships, Carlos would certainly worry about her health.

They made it to the studio with time to spare. "So, James likes you, too? I always thought he saw you like a sister. That's so weird," Carlos exclaimed as he got out of the car.

Katie shook her head, "I don't think he likes me," she too, stepped out of the car. "I mean, I think it's more of a physical thing," Katie thought back to Britney and reconsidered what she just said, "or maybe it's because he's comfortable around me." Katie sighed, "I honestly don't know, but whatever it is, we both agreed that our careers and you guys are too important to make any irrational decisions."

"What do you mean by that?" Carlos asked in confusion.

Katie shrugged, as they walked through the studio doors, "Carlos, do you really think that James or myself for that matter, can last in a serious long-term relationship? We'd probably break-up within a year, if that long at all. James would have to find a new manager and you guys would have to pick sides. All of our relationships would be destroyed and not just mine and James'."

"You do make a good point." Carlos rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Kate! There you are, I've been waiting for what seems like hours." A petite redhead called out, from the waiting room.

Carlos looked around, before leaning to whisper in Katie's ear, "Who's Kate?"

Katie rolled her eyes, "That's me, idiot. It's what people call me now, besides you guys," she greeted the woman, who had reached the two. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, the studio called and said that they wanted me here to read lines with some people auditioning. I guess to feel the chemistry or something," Marka explained to Katie. She looked over at Carlos in confusion.

"My bad, Marka, this is Carlos. Carlos, meet Marka, the co-star of the film you'll be auditioning for." Katie introduced the two.

Carlos gave a look of confusion, "What kind of name is Marka?"

Marka returned a look of her own, narrowing her eyes, "What kind of name is Carlos?"

"A normal one!"

"Well, in Hollywood, _normal_ isn't going to cut it," Marka retorted, stepping closer to Carlos.

Carlos looked down at the menacing woman, "Lots of celebrities have normal names, it's only their kids that have the weird ones."

Marka took a step back, fuming at the lack of comeback. She turned to Katie and stated haughtily, "I refuse to do the movie if he's going to be in it!"

Katie sighed in frustration, wanting to hit her head against something, but remained diplomatic. "Marka, this role is made for you. The director loves you and you know that the audience will love it too. Carlos, here, is _perfect_ for your co-star. Trust me," Katie put her arm around Carlos' waist, "I've known him my whole life."

Carlos wrapped his arm around Katie as well, "Yeah."

Marka huffed, crossing her arms, "Fine, we'll do the audition, it'll most likely go so badly that the director won't even want him." She turned to take a seat in the waiting room.

Katie groaned, knowing that Marka had a point. If the director called her in for the first audition, that meant that they placed a great value on the chemistry between the two actors. She looked over at Carlos who had taken a seat, as far as possible from Marka, but that didn't stop the two from glaring at each other.

Katie mumbled to herself, as she went to register Carlos, "Of all girls that Carlos _isn't_ attracted to, why did it have to be her?" Katie shook her head, as she filled in the form. As long as the two got through the audition, that's all she could hope for.

* * *

><p>"They loved it!" Carlos cried, as he returned from the audition room.<p>

"What?" Katie gasped, in shock.

"Yeah, they think I did really well and that I should expect a callback."

"Carlos, that's wonderful." Katie reached over to hug him. "But, I don't understand, I mean you and Marka, you guys hate each other."

"Yeah, they said something about us having the right kind of chemistry. Who knows what that means and who cares? I nailed it." Carlos gave himself a pat on the back.

Katie giggled, before looking over his shoulder. "Where's Marka?"

"Oh, she has to stay to run lines with other guys trying out." Carlos leaned in and mockingly whispered to Katie, "Which is completely fine by me, I can't _stand_ her." He straightened up, "Now let's go celebrate with some corn-dogs."

"We just had corn-dogs!" Katie exclaimed as Carlos took her hand and dragged her towards the door.

"We can never have enough!"

Katie laughed as she followed her friend out the door.

* * *

><p>AN: I love the bond that Carlos and Katie have and hopefully I did it justice here.

Just wanted to state that while this chapter is mostly filler, it is important to recognize that Katie isn't head-over-heels in love with James.

Well, I hope you guys liked it anyhow! Please leave a review, I think I might faint if we reach 50 before the next post.

-D


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Well, we didn't make it to 50 reviews, but that's okay. I'm still really thankful for the wonderful reviews I do get. Thanks so much you guys, for the motivation and positive feedback. :D

Not much to say about this chapter, only that some backstories are more developed, hopefully you guys will enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Big Time Rush characters or references.

* * *

><p>After dropping Carlos off at James' mansion, and quickly hightailing it out of there, Katie went home to check up on Kendall.<p>

"Kendall?" Katie called out as she stepped into her home.

"Hey, baby sister," Kendall stuck his head out of the guest room. "Where have you been all day?"

"Working, what about you? I was home a little earlier and you weren't here." Katie dropped her bag in the nearest chair.

"Oh, just, hanging...around."

Katie raised an eyebrow, "Hanging? Around?" She crossed her arms.

"Uh, yes," Kendall answered hesitantly.

Katie watched as her brother moved towards her couch. Katie just shrugged and walked over to sit beside him; she knew that her brother would eventually give in and tell her. She wiggled her neck around, feeling tense from all the action the past couple of days. She squinted at her brother.

"Hey, you wanna hit the gym?"

Kendall scrunched up his nose in disgust. "I spend almost twenty-four hours a week with a hockey team of sweaty guys. I really don't think I'd like to spend my vacation looking at more sweaty people."

Katie laughed, then quickly put on a pout, hoping to persuade her brother. "But, I want to go, _and_ spend time with you."

Kendall swung his arm around her, allowing her to lean into his shoulder. "Listen, you can go to the gym, and when you get back, I'll take you out to dinner and we can go see a movie."

Katie raised her head and pointed her finger at him, "You promise?"

Kendall crossed his heart with his free hand, "Promise. But first, tell me about this Michael character. I got some information from Carlos, but not much."

Katie groaned, not wanting to go into her past love life with her brother. "I met Michael in the elevator at Rocque Records Studio. He works for one of the other companies in the building. The elevator got stuck for about an hour with only us two in it. It plays out like a cliché, we got to talking and then we exchanged numbers. Went out for a few months and that's it." She ended, giving Kendall a very general description of her relationship.

Kendall scrutinized her, "How come I've never heard about him?"

Katie knew that it was a fair question, and one that she didn't have a decent answer to. She shrugged, "I don't know, I guess it never came up. Besides, I have difficulty telling you anything about my relationships, you stalked every single one of my boyfriends while we were still living together, to the point where one of them almost took out a restraining order on you."

"Oh yeah," Kendall's face scrunched up in memory. "I'd forgotten about that. But, that still doesn't make it right, that you didn't tell me."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I promise from now on, I'll tell you everything about my relationships," an evil smirk graced Katie's lips as her brother nodded happily. "_Everything_," she emphasized.

It took a minute for Kendall to realize what his sister was talking about before his face showed clear disgust, "You know what, let's just keep it general."

Katie laughed as she got up and made her way to her room, when Kendall called out her, "Hey, Katie, did you hear from Logan by any chance? I haven't seen him since we left for the club."

"Huh, that doesn't seem like Logan, not to check in." Katie let out a chuckle as she packed her duffle bag. "What if Logan and Camille decided to go to Vegas and get hitched?" She laughed at her own joke, but gasped at the potential seriousness. She ran out to the living room and met her brother wearing an identical expression of horror.

"Quick, grab your things, and we'll head over to Camille's place." Kendall shouted. "Hurry!"

"Right!" She ran into her room, but called out to Kendall, "Wait, grab my cell and call her."

"Oh, good call!" Kendall scrambled into Katie's purse to find her cellphone. He found it and quickly scrolled through her contacts. Kendall quickly dialled her number, listening to the phone ring repeatedly. "She's not picking up!" Kendall cried out, frantically.

Katie ran over to him, holding her duffle bag. "Dammit, Camille. Okay, let's just go."

Kendall had no time to reprimand Katie about her language. "Let's go!"

The Knight siblings rapidly ran out the door, afraid that their friends had done something drastic and more than slightly idiotic. While often the level-headed one in the group, Logan tended to be extreme in matters of the heart. Katie and Kendall had witnessed firsthand what Logan could potentially do, including harming his best friend with an axe-shaped guitar and sabotaging proms. They also knew that Camille was the type of person to agree to anything she felt was worth doing, and that didn't leave out very much.

* * *

><p>"Do you really think that they would elope?" Katie asked Kendall as they stood in the elevator that led to Camille's place.<p>

Kendall's wide eyes suggested that he hoped that they didn't, but knowing Camille and Logan, there was a high potential that they had. "Pray not, baby sister, pray not."

The second the elevator doors opened, the siblings raced down the hallway, with Katie leading.

"Here," Katie breathed out, as she rang the door bell persistently.

The door opened to reveal Camille in a revealing silk robe. "Food is...oh, hey guys," Cam pulled her robe tighter together, blushing.

"Make sure they have the fortune cookies. They forgot them, last time." A voice called out from inside the condo.

Katie and Kendall peeked inside, still breathing heavily from the sprint, and were greeted with Logan walking towards the door in nothing but a sheet wrapped around his waist. All three widened their eyes considerably; Logan's face flushed as well. Katie and Kendall, comically ran their eyes back and forth between Logan and Camille, with their mouths hanging open. Logan cleared his throat and gave a small wave to the guests.

"Hey, guys."

Katie snapped out of her stupor, and nudged her brother. "At least, they're not in Vegas," she gave Logan and Camille a smirk, which sent both into a deeper state of embarrassment.

Kendall shook his head, "What the...you guys...really?" He pointed back and forth between the two half-naked people, raising an eyebrow. Camille and Logan looked at other, completely understanding Kendall's insinuation.

Camille gestured with her head for the two siblings to come inside, "Come on, we'll explain everything. Just let us put some clothes on, first."

Katie continued smirking, as she walked past Camille and plopped down on the couch with Kendall beside her. The Knights waited for their two friends to come back, all the while whispering and giggling about the predicament.

Katie grinned as the two returned, seating themselves on the love-seat, full dressed. "Well, we're listening." Kendall snorted beside her, unable to suppress his enjoyment at his friend's expense.

"Oh, shut up, Kendall," Logan rolled his eyes, but still his face turned red. "You guys clearly know what happened, do we really need to explain ourselves? We are fully grown adults, I think it's safe to say that we don't need to tell you anything about our personal lives," Logan tried to defend himself.

"Oh no, you don't," Katie countered automatically. "As Cam's manager, I am entitled to know what is happening in my client's personal life, as it may result poorly on her professional career."

Logan looked over at Camille for confirmation. She shot him a sheepish look, before nodding. Kendall raised a fist for his sister to bump, acknowledging her cunning ability to manipulate people into giving her what she wants. Katie returned her brother's gesture without drawing her gaze away from the brunette couple.

In all honesty, Katie was happy that the two people in front of her were reunited. She had seen Camille experience multiple heartaches over the years, and knew that the woman deserved a man who was willing to go any distance for her. She could think of no one better than Logan, whom, it seemed, had never given up on the actress. While the two had experienced heartache with each other in their teenage years, they were finally at a point where they could be content together, without any unnecessary drama.

Camille clasped her hands together and leaned on Logan's shoulder while she told the story. After Kendall, Katie and Carlos had left to meet James, the two began recounting their life stories to each other. Camille had dished about her life in Hollywood; how her old manager, while sweet, was only able to book her lacklustre roles as extras on direct-to-videos. She also told him how the departure of the band left her with very little close friends, as Lucy had moved to New York to develop her music. She explained how Katie had unintentionally become Cam's support system, motivating her to keep on pursuing her dream. It was only natural for Camille to hire Katie as her manager. She had seen what work Katie had put in to enhance not only her own career, but boost Russell Brand's as well. The gamble on Katie turned out to be one of the best moves of her career as she started getting more valuable appearances on both the big and small screen, before landing her lead gig on _The Criteria_.

Logan, who had risen out of his seat midway through Cam's retelling to Katie and Kendall, got the door when the delivery guy came, and continued the story, once Cam finished telling her part. Logan had spent last night telling Camille how he had to adjust living on the East coast, without the guys within reach. Logan, like Kendall and Carlos, also had to deal with adjustment into regular society. Their popularity on their respective campuses lasted a few months before it died down and the other students saw them as nothing more than peers. Logan also loved his undergrad program, but his interest really peaked at Johns Hopkins; through the intensive program, he was educated through means of minute and complicated dissections and operative procedures.

After spending an hour at Katie's, Camille and Logan had decided to go out for late night drinks. Like how they were back at the Palm Woods, the physical attraction between the two sparked once again and they had spent the night and the next day knowing each other most intimately.

Kendall and Katie smirked as Logan and Camille mumbled through the end of the story.

Camille sighed at their obvious amusement, "And, I know that you told me to not rush into anything, but, it's Logan." Cam told Katie as she stared lovingly into Logan's eyes. Logan reached over to hold her hand.

Katie smiled, "It's alright, Cam. I'm," she nudged Kendall, "_we're_ happy for you guys. But, you do realize that Caleb will use this to his advantage? I wouldn't put it past him to spin the story, so that you were the adulterer in the relationship. The press will also use this opportunity to snoop into Logan's past as well."

Katie watched as Camille and Logan's faces fell. She grinned.

"Thankfully, you have me as a manager," she crossed her arms. "You guys will definitely have to be discreet for the next while. That should be easy, as Logan has to go back to Baltimore before he officially moves out here. Camille, you need to devote yourself to your show. Most likely, Caleb will soon be out and about with that co-star of his and everyone will know that he was the one who had an affair. Once it's been established that Caleb was the cheater, you guys can start dating publicly and Logan will be presumed your knight-in-shining-armour and everything will be a-okay. We'll have to go over the details with Cathleen."

Kendall nodded his head, impressed with his sister. "Nice, Katie."

Logan nodded as well, "Thanks, Katie. You really are good at what you do."

"Of course, I am," Katie replied. "Now, since you guys are here and _not_ eloping in Vegas, I think I'll finally hit the gym, now," she looked over at Kendall. "What are you going to do?"

"I think I'll hang out with Carlos and James, so that these lovebirds can continue having some alone time."

Logan scowled, "shut up."

The other three occupants laughed at Logan's apparent displeasure as they all got out of their seats.

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><p>AN: Couldn't help but embarrass Logan a little. ;p Also, what is Kendall hiding? hmmm...

Again, I always love hearing from you guys, so please leave a review.

-D


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So sorry guys, updates are going to be pretty slow, holiday season and all. I'm hoping to keep up the 2 updates/week trend, but at the very least, I promise to post a chapter a week.

How repetitive do I sound when I express my gratitude for you guys every week? Checking the traffic of this story, you guys have blown me away with the amount of readership. Thank you so much!

[bigtimerangergirl123]: Haha, I'm the same time of reader, so thanks so much for leaving a detailed review.

[nerdygirl3.14]: Cute username! Normally, I don't answer direct questions about the story in case it kills the suspense, but I think it's safe to say that yes, the other guys will know about Katie's hospitalization. Does it make you feel better if I say that even I don't know how they're going to find out? ;)

Disclaimer: Don't own the show's characters or references.

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><p>Katie gave the punching bag all she had. She had just dropped off Kendall at James' place as per her brother's request. Carlos came out to greet them, excited as always. Kendall had questioned where James was, when the Hispanic man informed that he had gone out to dinner with a girl. Katie knew that she had turned down James, but she didn't expect him to bounce back from the rejection so quickly.<p>

She gave another hard punch before taking a break. She sat down on the closest bench, wiping the sweat off her face. She moaned as she let her head hang, thinking about her dilemma with the older man. She knew that his actions proved her point that they wouldn't last long-term, but she still felt hurt and irrationally jealous at his mysterious date. Her eyes widened as she gasped, finally understanding her illogical feelings; she was starting to like James again.

"Please, please, don't let this be true. You can't like James," Katie mumbled into her hands, succumbing to her habit of talking to herself whenever she was stressed. "He's not worth it, you know what he's like. Get over it. Come on, Katie, don't be stupid. Whatever you're feeling isn't real, you've only reconnected for a day. It's just infatuation, it'll pass." Katie raised her head after giving herself a pep-talk, she noticed a nearby brunette, jogging on a treadmill, staring at her every move.

Katie got up, ready to leave the gym, "What? You've never seen a girl talk to herself before?"

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><p>When Katie sat down at the table in the restaurant, freshly showered, her brother gave her a curious look. "You alright, baby sister?"<p>

Katie shrugged, nonchalantly, "I'm fine." There was little hope that Katie was going to reveal her attraction to one of her brother's best friends.

"Are you sure? You don't look like yourself," Carlos said as he reached across the table to press his hand against her forehead. Kendall had invited him to join the siblings for dinner and movie.

Katie allowed him to check, watching warily as he pulled away convinced that she didn't have a fever. "I'm not sick, guys." Her companions both raised an eyebrow in question. "If you do that too long, it may get stuck like that," Katie remarked sarcastically.

Carlos reached up and cupped his eyebrows in fear. Kendall rolled his eyes.

Katie sighed and fibbed, "I'm just hungry." She reached for a menu before asking, "So, Carlos, when did the studio say they were going to call you back?"

"They said by Friday, latest," Carlos replied. "But, in all seriousness," he leaned in towards Katie. "You are going to be my manager, if I get the job, right? 'Cause it's not fair if you're James' manager and not mine."

Katie had thought about this matter during the day, she knew that signing Carlos would increase her company's sustainability and marketability as he was a member of an extinct popular boy band. She also knew that managing Carlos would require more time and effort than a regular client; she would have to walk Carlos through every course of action. Katie's decision lay solely on the fact that Carlos had always been there for Katie.

Growing up behind Big Time Rush's limelight, Katie had few friends who liked her for her; those who befriended her only looked for ways to meet the band. However, she hardly made effort to go searching for friends, often feeling content with Kendall and his friends, and Tyler at the Palm Woods. Unexpectedly, Carlos became the person in Katie's life whom she would tell her secrets and ambitions. Carlos had lent his ear and shared thoughts of his own with her, as well. He was the first one of the four band members to offer taking her to her junior prom, even though she didn't want to go in the first place. She ended up staying in that night, spending it playing video games and eating pizza with Kendall, Carlos, Logan and James, but she kept the knowledge that all of them were willing to sacrifice their reputation to make her happy, in her heart.

Katie gave Carlos a smile and simply stated, "Okay, I'll be your manager."

"Really?" Carlos' face lit up. "Huh, I'd thought it be more difficult to get you to agree."

"Nope," she shook her head. "I forced you into reading that script, so it makes sense for me to become your manager, but, we also need to find you an agent and fast."

Kendall frowned in concentration, peering over his own menu. "I never actually understood the difference between a manager and an agent."

"Legally speaking, I am not allowed to negotiate any contractual agreements for my clients, they have to go through an agent or a lawyer. What I am allowed to do, is look for prospective projects and assignments for them and then some," Katie explained quickly, not wanting to go into the nitty-gritty detail of her work life. Katie sighed dramatically when she saw the blank stares, "Consider me a professional advisor with the ability to produce." Comprehension dawned on Kendall and Carlos' faces.

"Oh, well, I _know_ you're going to be great at that," Carlos stated cheerfully, right before the waiter came over to take their orders.

"You're really making a mark, baby sister," Kendall remarked, happy that his sister's business was successful.

"Yeah, and I've taken into consideration what you told me yesterday about hiring another manager for the company and I've already started looking, so thanks for that."

"No prob."

"So Carlos, we're going to have to go agent hunting some time this week; I do know a couple that you may be interested in hiring, but I'll let you see which one you think would be the best for you. You'll have to stop by the office, possibly some time tomorrow after lunch, I have a meeting in the morning. You definitely need an agent before you are able to act in movies," Katie stated, unconsciously using her business tone. She turned to her brother, "I'm sorry, big brother, I didn't expect to be so busy this week, I didn't even want to be in the office at all this week."

Kendall shrugged, good-naturedly, "No worries, I'm staying here for another week anyway, we'll have plenty of time to hang out. Besides, you won't have to go to the office this weekend, right?"

Katie nodded, her eyes lighting up with a thought. "Hey, Carlos, make sure you don't plan anything for this weekend either. I have the perfect idea of how we can spend it."

Carlos' eyes sparkled with excitement, "Okay! What are we doing?"

"You'll see. I promise you guys will love it," Katie smiled before sipping her wine.

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><p>That night, Katie fell into a deep slumber, feeling like she hadn't slept in days. But Katie was never one to sleep for very long, she woke up before dawn. She lay in bed thinking about all that had happened to her in the past few days, mostly of her feelings for James. Her cheeks heated, as she thought about her redeveloped feelings for the older man. While she knew that she was physically attracted to him, she really didn't want to be. James was everything she didn't want in a man. Not only was he famous and self-absorbed, he was also a very good-looking sleaze, using and discarding women like they were nothing but tissue paper.<p>

Katie sighed audibly, as she flipped over to rest on her side. She continued to think about his redeeming qualities. She gave a small smile when she thought back to their relationship when they were younger. James had played the role of the overprotective brother when she had gone out on her first date; while she was annoyed with him for most of that night, she did find what he had done endearing. Katie also remembered how James was always the reluctant one to agree with the rest of the gang to do good deeds for others, but in the end, he maintained his loyalty and lent a hand when needed. James was also, surprisingly, the one who taught Katie how to drive. Kendall had yet to learn himself, refusing to learn because he knew that Logan would drive him wherever he needed to go. Her mother was, at the time, going through a difficult of empty-nest syndrome and refused to teach her daughter on principle of not allowing Katie to get away from her faster. Logan was originally supposed to teach Katie, but while he was able to teach and help her with her schoolwork, the two had clashed inside a car; after one lesson, both parties were ready to tear out their hair. Kendall didn't trust Carlos enough to let him teach his baby sister, which left James as the only option.

James was a natural behind the wheel of a car, and his cool demeanour transferred over to his teaching style. Katie, always a quick learner, picked up driving, easily. The two would spend occasional free afternoons and evenings cruising along the Californian coastline. These bonding moments that Katie had with James made her develop her crush on him. For the first time since she was born, she didn't feel like he looked at her as only Kendall's little sister, but as an equal, someone he could talk to. While James didn't keep his dreams and desires a secret, she did learn about his insecurities and fears.

Katie remembered one moment in particular, she had pulled off to the side of the road one night and the two had laid down on the hood of the BTR Mobile, looking down at Los Angeles. James had told her of how he was afraid of the day that his fame would come to an end, unlike the other guys, he didn't have a back-up plan. She thought back to what she had told him to appease his fear, she recalled telling him about how she was essentially in the same boat with her desire to be a mogul in America's entertainment industry. She chuckled as she remembered how she told him that there was no doubt that the two would succeed, there was enough brain and beauty between both of them to run Hollywood and if they didn't last, then they would torch the city together.

Katie sat up in bed, remembering how she believed that she and him would always have each other to depend on. James had apologized for his lack of support for Katie during the past few years, but Katie thought about how she hadn't been there for him. As much as she would like to blame the lack of time she had to spare during college or during the first year of her company, she never attempted to call James to see how he was doing. He had mentioned that she was the only one he had left, and it was likewise for her, she had suffered through many nights of loneliness when her brother and mother left for Minnesota. While both of them had friends, such as Camille, to remind them of their past, no one could fill the void left behind by the lack of family and it seemed that both of them had forgotten what each other meant to one another.

Katie rubbed her face, James may not be the person she was willing to live her life with romantically, but she knew that she wanted James back in her life as the companion he once was. She was willing to try again with James, she wanted her friend back. She got out of bed, ready to face the long day she had.

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><p>AN: Ah, some of you readers may be upset with how temperamental Katie is in this chapter, but let's face it, she's a 22 year old girl who has developed feelings for one of her brother's best friends and he's someone that she grew up with to boot! I wanted to convey the idea how human Katie is; her feelings for James isn't going to be linear.

Like always, please review! I personally love reading everyone's favourite parts. ;)

-D


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you all so much! We have finally reached 50+ reviews. This is such an amazing Christmas present. Thanks to all of you who have added this story to your favourites and story alerts.

There's some harsh language in this chapter, but I guess it's already been forewarned by the "T" rating.

Disclaimer: I don't own BTR.

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><p>Katie walked into her office, smiling gratefully, as she saw Magdalene holding out a steaming cup of coffee for her.<p>

"Mags, you are the best."

"I figured you're going to need it. That Fulton can be a right bastard sometimes, coming in here like he owns the place. But enough about that," Mags grinned slyly, as she followed Katie into her office. "I got a glimpse of the photo shoot yesterday. You were _amazing_! I mean, I knew you were a model, but Kate, you were really hot!" She smirked before making her next comment, "I honestly thought that you two were going to have sex, right in front of everyone."

Katie gasped at her friend's crassness, blushing to her roots, "Magdalene!"

"Have you seen the pictures?" Mags quirked her perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Well, no, I have to call Tony and Daniella, ugh," Katie flopped her head onto her desk. "I can't deal with this right now, Fulton is going to walk through those doors any minute and I have to concentrate on how to deal with him."

"Hey," Magdalene reached across and placed her hand on Katie's shoulders, concerned, "Just relax. I'll call Tony and Daniella for you, it's why I'm here. You got to learn to stop worrying about the small things. We don't want you having another fainting spell. Did you eat yet? 'Cause I can go and grab you something−"

"I already ate," Katie interrupted, lifting her head to talk to her assistant. "Thanks for the offer, though. I know you and Russell have been in contact, talking about me, but, that whole entire malnutrition thing was a one-off. I'm doing my best to stay healthy. Oh hey, that reminds me," Katie sat up straight. "You've made an announcement about me hiring another manager, right?"

"Yep, I've already forwarded the electronic CV's to you and I'm going to sort the ones that have been faxed over," she gave Katie a stern look, "We can't be too careful, you were in the hospital for a couple of nights. That's really serious, Kate."

"Wow, that was really fast, it's been less than twenty-four hours," Katie noted, astonished at the level of response and trying to move away from the topic of her health. "And, I promise to let you know if I'm feeling off, okay?"

"Good, and people know where the money goes," Mags joked, as she turned to leave the room. "And, I was only joking about you and James, but, you _did_ look amazing," she winked at Katie.

Katie only blushed deeper. She ran her hand through her hair, before deciding to go and fix the up-do in her bathroom, so that she would look impeccable for the meeting.

Paul Fulton was an arrogant man who knew that he had the running power in the city. Katie had heard stories of him destroying smaller companies, much like hers, before she got in the business. Katie knew that Fulton had attempted to do the same with her company, but he had yet to come up with anything that he could use against her. Katie smirked, thinking of the upper-hand that she had against him, even though she had never come so far to use it; her connection with the fourth most prominent CEO in America, had reduced Fulton to give her some respect. Katie never asked Arthur Griffin for help, but she knew that he would have her back, after facing off against a much younger her, many times, Griffin recognized and appreciated Katie's potential. The fact that Griffin remembered the name of one of his boy band's ten year old sister proved that Katie had tenacity.

Her thoughts of Griffin reminded her to call Kelly to tell her that James was coming in for rehearsal. The phone only rang twice, "Hey, Kelly. It's Katie, I just wanted to tell you guys that James wanted to come in today for a session. I'm not sure what time though, so you may want to give him a ring. Yeah, I know, it's not only him, I've agreed to sign Carlos too," Katie replied to Kelly's astonishment that Katie had agreed to manage James. Katie laughed when Kelly told her that she was going to be in over her head with the two of them, "Don't I know it. I've lived with them for a good while. Hey, thanks for sending me over the files, are you free for lunch next week? Tuesday sounds good, we can definitely use it as a work and social date." Katie quickly opened up her calendar on her computer to mark the date. "The guys will probably want to have a dinner with you and Gustavo before they leave as well, so we'll have to schedule something too." Katie looked down at the flashing light on her phone, signalling a page from Mags. "Oh, hey, I gotta go, I'll see you soon. Bye, Kelly."

Katie switched lines, "Yes?"

"Ms. Knight, Mr. Fulton is here for your meeting," Magdalene told her.

"Thank you, Mags, let him in," Katie replied, hanging up the phone, before standing up and smoothing out her skirt. The door opened to her office.

Katie put on a smile, and held out her hand. "Mr. Fulton, always a pleasure."

Paul Fulton was fifty-five years old, but looked ten years younger. The sprinkle of greying hair only added to his sophistication. His personable demeanour charmed most of Hollywood, but his perfect smile never seemed to reach his baby blue eyes. Katie's keen intuition made it so that she never trusted anything this man said.

"Pleasure's mine, Ms. Knight," Fulton replied, pasting on a smile, reaching across the desk to shake Katie's hand. She gestured for him to take a seat.

"What can I do for you, today, Mr. Fulton?" Katie asked pleasantly, cutting down to the chase. She didn't want to prolong this meeting any longer than necesssary.

Fulton gave a chuckle, "I've always admired how you get straight to business, saves me plenty of time." He remarked, but quickly continued, after seeing Katie's straight face. "I've heard that you recently acquired James Diamond; pity on our part, I know the potential that he has, but alas, family must come first." He stated modestly, referring to his relation to Larry, James' previous manager.

Katie gave a wry smile, "Yes, James mentioned that _incident_ to me. I have to say, I'm quite surprised that Larry didn't bring this to the press."

Fulton nodded, "Yes, under my discretion, I persuaded Larry to let the matter...slide. You see, Ms. Knight," he leaned in slightly, giving Katie the feeling that he finally reached the reason for his visit. "I can only keep Larry quiet for so long. He is, after all, a proud man, and to have his own client sleep with his wife, well, who's to say how long he can simmer before releasing his anger."

Katie leaned back in her chair, steeling herself for Fulton's next move. "What do you propose we do about this, Mr. Fulton?"

She watched as Fulton gave her a winning smile, "I do believe I have a solution to our dilemma." Katie waited for him to continue. "I suggest that you allow FMA to buy out Knight Management."

Katie couldn't believe her ears, "Excuse me?"

Fulton nodded, maintaining his cool disposition, "Yes, if Knight Management were to..._integrate_," Fulton stated, choosing his wording carefully, "into FMA, James Diamond would once again be under FMA contract. As his managing company, we are to serve him completely, meaning that all of his indiscretions will be kept under wraps. You too, will benefit greatly with this merger."

Katie stood up, schooling any facial expressions, "Thank you for your offer, Mr. Fulton. However, this is quite sudden, and I think I need time to consider the details."

Fulton got up as well, recognizing that the meeting was ending, "Of course, of course, but this offer will not last long, Ms. Knight. May I request that you come up with an answer in a week's time?" While his tone suggested nothing but pleasantry, Katie noted the cool and calculating look in his eyes.

She forced a smile, "Absolutely. I'll be in touch." She walked around her desk, escorting Fulton to the door.

"Again, it's always a pleasure meeting with you, Ms. Knight. You are so young to have such talent." Fulton complimented, again showing his pearly whites.

"You're too kind, Mr. Fulton. I only strive to be what you are," Katie gave him what she hoped was a winning smile of her own.

He chuckled, and wagged his finger at her, "Flattery will get you everywhere. Good day, Ms. Knight."

"And you, Mr. Fulton." Katie watched as he made his way out of her office suite. She turned to go back to her seat.

Katie mulled over the discussion from the last half hour. As she swiftly put the pieces together, she couldn't help but note Fulton's cleverness in his plot. Fulton manipulated the issue between Larry and James to his advantage. There was no doubt that he had found out about Katie and James' connection, through his background search on her. Fulton had mentioned that he had to let James go, on account of familial relations, but she was certain that James could have easily been transferred over to another manager in the firm. Fulton had correctly assumed that James would turn to her in his time of need. While Fulton had nothing on Katie, he now had something over James, and as his manager, she would have to do anything to the best of her ability to satisfy her client's needs and integrity, including selling her business.

"That son of a bitch," Katie muttered, knowing that she was finally cornered. She didn't miss out on Fulton's threat either, she only had one week to decide what to do before he leaked the news about James' scandal.

She leaned back in her seat to stare at the ceiling fan. She knew she had to talk to James about this matter, she was only joking earlier in the week about how he brought her trouble, but now it seemed that her words rang true. Katie looked down at the only picture she had on her desk, it was taken just before Big Time Rush broke up and everyone was still living at the Palm Woods. Someone, maybe Buddha Bob, had taken a photo of the occupants of apartment 2J, when everything was simpler. She knew that one of the easiest way to get rid of this problem was to terminate the agreement and have James find another manager, but it was a last resort; Katie would sell her company before turning her back on him.

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><p>AN: If I don't update before Sunday, I want to wish you all a happy holiday! Thank you so much for all the positive responses these past couple of months. It really means so much to me.

P.S. I really need this information for the story, but what is Katie's full name? If you guys could send me the information with a credible source (yes, I'm sorry, the scholar in me needs this) that would be GREATLY appreciated.

Much love,

D


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Hi All! Sorry about the slow update. I, unexpectedly, got called in for work, plus the holiday season, and now I'm fighting off the flu.

A very big thank you to bigtimerangergirl123 and Mini Maslow, for trying to find out what Katie's full name is. More details about this task will come with the author's note below :)

[iluvbtr166]: I LOVE your reaction to the last chapter. I'm so happy that you really got into it. Thanks for the review!

Like always, enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: I have no legal affiliation with Big Time Rush nor Marvel Comics

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><p>"You have got to be kidding me!" Katie groaned as she lifted the hood of her car on the side of the road. She coughed as the smoke rose out of the car and into her nose. She quickly waved most of the smoke away and eyed her engine trying to find the problem before realizing that even if she did identify the issue, there was nothing that she could do. She walked around the side of her car to grab her phone and call a tow truck. She slumped against the car door, waiting for the tow truck when she spotted a familiar Jaguar pulling up behind her. She slid her glasses on top of her head.<p>

"Kate?"

"Michael, what are you doing, here?" Katie asked in confusion.

Michael got out of his car and walked towards her. "I had to pick something up for work." He kissed her cheek before making his way over to the front of her car. He peered under the hood. "What seems to be the problem?"

Katie sighed, "I don't know, blown engine? It just started smoking while I was driving, so I pulled over."

"When was the last time you had an oil change and tune up?" Michael asked, fiddling around with her car.

"Um, a year ago?" Katie replied, trying to remember.

Michael laughed as he wiped his hands together. "Same old Kate. Looks like there's nothing I can do, sorry."

Katie smiled, "It's fine, I called a tow truck, they should be here soon. Thanks for trying."

Michael smiled good-naturedly. "Hey Kate, I know it's only been a couple of days since we've seen each other, but have you considered what I asked?"

Truthfully, Katie had been too involved with James and work to even remember that Michael had wanted to get back together. She honestly had no idea what she wanted to do. Michael was a good guy, probably one of her better boyfriends that she's had. While Katie had thought that Michael got too attached, she recalled that Carlos had said that having someone want to be with you may not necessarily be a bad thing. But, Katie was still trying to figure out her emotions with James. Katie had decided that she wanted a platonic relationship with him, but, she didn't want to jump back into a relationship with Michael only because she was rebounding.

Katie looked over at Michael, "Honestly, Michael, lately, I have been over my head with work...and things, that I actually haven't thought about it."

Michael chuckled at Katie's distress, "It's okay, Kate, I won't pressure you into anything, right now."

Katie laughed along with him. Michael was really a nice guy, he deserved someone who was willing to give all of her to him, she just wasn't sure she was that girl.

"Hey, do you need to be anywhere? I could always drive you, once the tow truck gets here," Michael offered.

Katie shook her head, "No, Michael, I don't want to bother you. I'm sure you have other places to be."

He scoffed, "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it. It's perfectly fine."

Katie tilted her head, "Are you sure?" She asked, watching him nod his head. She relented, "Okay, then. Thanks so much. You are amazing, Michael."

He shrugged, before reaching for her things in her car to transfer into his. He turned his head and looked at her and jokingly said, "I know. Why don't you want to date me again?"

Katie laughed as she helped him.

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><p>"If you thank me one more time, I'm going to have to kick you out of my car," Michael threatened as he drove Katie home.<p>

Katie laughed, "I can't help it. Not a lot of people would do this."

"True, but I'm not a lot of people," Michael winked from the driver's seat.

Katie's phone rang, interrupting their exchange. "Hello? Oh hey Carlos, nothing just on my way home. Um," she looked over at Michael from the corner of her eye, "I'll tell you when I see you. What? Why can't you...yes, but...fine! I'll come over." Katie rolled her eyes, "I'll see you in a bit."

Katie looked over at Michael and gave him a sheepish grin. He smiled back.

"What?"

"Do you think it's possible you can drop me off at a friend's house?"

Michael chuckled, "Where to?"

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><p>Michael pulled up to James' mansion. Having coming from a prestigious family, and living in Los Angeles didn't cause Michael to gush over the premise.<p>

Katie unbuckled herself, ready to lean across and speak to Henry through the intercom, but the gates opened automatically. She sat back down and shrugged. Michael drove through the gates and up to the entrance.

Katie reached around to the backseat to grab her bags. "Thanks so much, Michael, I owe you one."

Michael faked a groan, "I thought I told you to stop thanking me, but, it was my pleasure, Kate."

Katie smiled and opened the door. She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. "Dinner, sometime?"

"Absolutely," Michael grinned back, knowing that Katie meant a dinner between friends.

Katie stepped out of the car and closed the door. She stared until she saw the car reached the gates. She turned around and promptly ran into James' chest, almost stumbling backwards, before he caught her by the shoulders.

"James," Katie blushed.

He frantically looked between her and the retreating automobile. "Who was that?" He inquired, letting go of her, after making sure she was stable.

Katie flushed even darker, "That was Michael, my car broke down and he gave me a lift."

"You could have called me," James replied, almost angrily.

Katie sighed warily, before pushing past him to go inside. "I didn't call him, he just happened to be passing by. Besides," she dropped her bags in the foyer before turning around to look at him. "It's not like I have to explain myself to you. I mean," she crossed her arms. "Don't you have someone else to do that?" She hissed, before realizing that she didn't quite make sense.

James cocked his head. "What?"

"Carlos told me about your date, last night," Katie huffed. She was still insulted, even if she decided that she didn't want James as her boyfriend.

James apparently thought differently, as a smirk appeared on his face. "Are you _jealous_, Katie Knight?" He teased as he stepped closer to her.

"As if. What about you? You were to about to 'Hulk' up, two minutes ago," Katie retorted. "Besides, how'd you know I was coming?"

She watched as James' face turned lightly pink, "I was actually, waiting for someone else." James rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh." The playful banter between the two, coming to a halt. As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

James turned around to answer. He opened the door to reveal a tall, slim brunette smiling gleefully up at James. Katie watched, unabashedly, as the two exchange greetings and James leaned down to kiss her. The brunette turned and smiled at Katie when she realized that they had company.

James ushered her in and quickly introduced the two. "Bev, this is my manager, Katie Knight and Katie," he put his arm around the new girl, "this is Beverly Hill."

Katie's eyebrows shot up at her name. Beverly gave a tinkly laugh, "I know, it's such a stupid name, but my parents thought it was adorable. You can call me Bev," she stuck out her hand towards Katie.

Katie shook her hand and smiled, "It's nice to meet you."

Beverly looked up at James. "Are you ready to go? I have the car parked out front."

"Yep, just let me get Carlos. He and Katie need to talk about stuff," James replied as he made his way up the stairs.

"Quickly," Beverly shouted, before she giggled. She directed her gaze at Katie. "So, James has mentioned so much about you. Well, as much as he can in one night."

Katie realized that this was the girl that James had taken to dinner, the night before. She gave a chuckle, still observing the girl.

Beverly continued to speak, "He spent a good amount of time talking about you guys, I feel like I know you. I barely got a word in, but I managed to make him listen, by the end of the night," she winked before gasping at the implication once she saw Katie's quirked eyebrow. "Oh, gosh, that's not what I meant. I just, I took him to see my animals. I'm a vet."

Katie was shocked, she couldn't believe that James was seeing someone who didn't make a living in the limelight, never mind someone who had a degree, let alone two. Katie looked over Beverly with closer inspection, there was little doubt that the woman was good-looking, her chestnut brown hair contrasted quite nicely against her blue eyes and dazzling smile.

"Wow, I have to say, that's usually out of James' forte, how did you two meet?" Katie questioned, still waiting for the guys to come down.

"Oh well," Beverly's cheeks flushed lightly, "I literally ran into him on my afternoon jog, yesterday. Contrary to what I've read in the tabloids, James seemed to be a really decent guy, after we got to talking. I was pleasantly surprised that he asked me to have dinner that same night. I found it quite refreshing that he didn't follow the standard rules of dating, but of course I didn't rule out the thought that it might be his Hollywood ego that gave him the confidence," she jokingly added. "Over dinner, I got to know him better and well, here I am! We're going over to that comedy club and see that guy...I always forget his name," Beverly scrunched up her face in thought. "Oh, I can't remember right now. You're more than welcome to come with us."

Katie smiled, "Oh no, I have a lot of work to do, but thanks for the offer."

Katie sighed internally. Her spot-on intuition told her that Beverly was a decent person and she would definitely be a good fit for James; she was pretty, funny and smart. Katie would have probably befriended the girl immediately if not for the fact that a nagging voice inside her mind kept telling her that this was the woman that made James forget about her almost instantaneously.

James and Carlos finally came down the stairs. Katie and Beverly watched as Carlos yawned audibly, before stretching.

Carlos rubbed his face when they reached the girls, "Hey Katie, sorry, I took a nap and forgot to set the alarm," he went to wrap his arms around her, but Katie pushed his face away with her hand.

"Nuh-uh mister. You have nap breath."

Carlos pouted before doing a breath-check and winced when he got a whiff. "I'll be right back," he said as quickly made his way to the main floor washroom.

The remaining trio laughed at his antics. Katie turned back around, only to catch James wrap his arm adoringly around Beverly. She tried to ignore the clenching feeling of her heart by reminding herself what she decided that morning; she only wanted James as a friend.

Beverly looked down at her watch, "We should probably get going."

"Right," James agreed, he turned to Katie, "Hey, your car's in the shop, right? I'll lend you one of mine while it's being fixed." He flashed her his flawless smile.

"No," Katie shook her head, "It'll probably be ready by tomorrow, I'll just get use taxis for the time being."

James scoffed, making his way towards his kitchen, "You don't have a choice, besides, my cars are just sitting there in the garage."

Katie and Beverly watched as he ran to get his keys.

"He's really a good guy, isn't he?" Beverly gushed happily.

Katie gave a small smile and stated honestly, "Yeah, he is. Underneath that pretty, self-centred exterior lays one of the best men I know."

Carlos and James came back into the foyer at the same time. James smiled happily as he handed Katie a key to one of his cars. She cocked an eyebrow at James when she spotted the logo.

James held up hands innocently, "I know you like convertibles, so...that's why."

Carlos frowned as he witnessed the exchange, "Hey, how come you haven't lent me one of your cars?"

"I told you, I don't trust you with any of my babies. You completely wrecked that car that Griffin gave you after the last album went platinum."

Carlos crossed his arms, "It was just that one time."

Katie rolled her eyes and interjected before the guys got into a physical fight. "Hey, don't you need to get going?"

James looked over Katie's shoulders, seemingly remembering that there was another person in the room. "Oh yeah. Sorry, 'bout that, Bev." He quickly ran and opened the door, "After you, my lady."

Bev giggled, she turned and smiled brightly at Carlos and Katie, "It was nice meeting you, Katie and it's good to see you again, Carlos." She gave a small wave before heading out the door.

James waved too, before closing the door behind him.

Katie stood there staring at the closed door, lost in her thoughts.

"I don't think he really likes her," Carlos said quietly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Katie leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. "Thanks for lying to me, Carlos. It's been less than a day, and they've already been on two dates. I would have to be blind not to see how attracted they are to each other."

Carlos rubbed his hand up and down her shoulder for comfort. Katie raised her head and sighed again, but more definitively.

"So, what did you have to tell me?"

Carlos' face lit up. "I got the callback! I'm going to head in tomorrow for my second audition."

Katie grinned and embraced him, "Carlos, that's so great!"

"I know, right?" Carlos cried cheerfully.

"Come on, we're going out for pizza to celebrate. We'll text Kendall, Logan and Camille to come join us."

Carlos gave a quick hop, "Okay! Are you going to tell us the surprise too?" He asked, referring to Katie's secretive weekend plan.

Katie slyly smiled, "Maybe." She giggled at Carlos' apparent frustration.

"Katie-cakes," Carlos whined.

"No, Carlos. Come on, let's go already," Katie replied, grabbing her bags and opening the door.

"Fine. Hey, which car did James lend you?"

Katie rolled her eyes as she opened her palm to show him the key.

Carlos gasped excitedly, "No way!"

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><p>AN: So that's probably the last chapter I'll post for 2011! I hope you guys liked it.

Now, as mentioned above, I do need Katie to have a full name so, if you could all be so kind and leave a review with your choice of name for Katie, that would be really helpful. I would set up a poll on my userpage, but I a) am to lazy to do so, and b) don't know how.

So I think I'm going to make the choices:

A) Katherine

B) Katelyn

C) Katrina

Thanks, in advance!

I hope you readers have a wonder New Year's and I'll see you in 2012!

Love,

D

P.S. I'm going to add a shameless plug here, please check out my BTR one-shot, _Waiting for a Miracle_.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Hi Readers! I am sincerely thrilled that this story has received over 60 reviews, thanks so much! :D To all of you who are still subscribing and adding this to your favourites, thank you, as well!

[StuckAt9.99]: Great hearing from you again!

Disclaimer: Don't own BTR, wait...nope, still not mine!

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><p>"Wow," Kendall uttered with wide eyes as Katie and Carlos pulled up to the front of her building in James' Maserati. "Nice upgrade, baby sister."<p>

"Ugh, it's not mine. My car is in the shop and James let me use this until it's fixed," Katie groaned out, frustrated.

Kendall laughed, as he hopped into the backseat. "Relax, Katie. I was only joking, this car is a bit...ostentatious for you."

"Been reading the dictionary again, have you?" Katie looked at her brother through the rearview mirror. Carlos barked at Katie's insult.

Kendall raised his head, "Word-of-the-Day calendar, actually."

The three laughed. Kendall leaned forward in his seat to punch Carlos in the shoulder. "Hey, congrats, Carlitos. I knew you could do it."

"Thanks, Kendall. It's going to be so cool, I'm going to be in a movie!" Carlos shouted joyfully, before adding, "Maybe."

"I bet it doesn't hurt that you get to act with that actress too, right? What was her name again?" Kendall asked.

Katie smirked as she caught Carlos pulling a face, beside her. "Don't even talk about her. Marka Jones is the opposite of everything I am. She's boring, stuck up and has such an ugly personality. She's the first person I've ever met that I didn't like."

The Knight siblings both pondered over the Hispanic's comment, before nodding in agreement, it was rare for Carlos to meet someone and not like them.

Kendall grinned, still leaning his head between the front seat, "You know what they say about opposites." He stuck out his hands and pressed his fists together, wiggling his thumbs so that they touched.

Carlos widened his eyes and turned around to shove Kendall back in his seat. Kendall laughed at his friend's distress. Katie grinned and shook her head, maintaining concentration on the road. She missed the familiar banter between the guys. She continued driving while the boys bickered about Carlos' love life. She amusedly considered the thought of Carlos ever dating Marka. Carlos was right in the fact that Marka was everything that Carlos wasn't. Marka Jones came from a privileged family in upstate New York with no siblings. She was the apple of her maternal grandfather, and was set to inherit the majority of his legacy. Marka's interest in acting defied the logistical plan of her running the family business, but because she always got what she demanded, Marka was allowed to enter the film industry, though with heavy precautionary. She was not allowed to disgrace her family's name or else her access to her trust fund would be cut off. Marka's determination to work in Hollywood was what persuaded Katie to take her on as a client; she admired Marka's moxie. Every interaction that Katie had with Marka was purely business oriented. She often had a hard time believing that Russell could befriend someone so serious, but Russell assured her that Marka had a humorous side, but after half a year of working with her, Katie had yet to see it.

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><p>The Knights and Carlos had reached the pizza joint and found Logan and Camille waiting for them. Logan was standing by the door and Camille was waiting in her car. The two had kept their distance in public, as planned, to hide their relationship from the paparazzi. They all merged at the door to the restaurant, with Camille stopping to sign a couple of autographs for fans.<p>

Katie grinned at Logan as they approached him, "How did you get here?"

Logan gave her his signature lopsided grin in return. "I borrowed one of Camille's wigs to leave her building and took a cab. Thank goodness you suggested this idea, Katie. The pap was waiting outside her door. If they had recognized me, they would spread a story like wildfire." He quirked an eyebrow, "You know, I'm surprised that the media hasn't staked out James' front door like piranhas. After you," he held open the door for the gang to walk through.

Katie grinned, "That's because James has an agreement to circulate a blog between every major magazine every month and in return they have to give him his privacy. I do have to say, it's quite an ingenious plan on his agent's part. The blog is so popular, that whatever issue it's featured in, increases the magazine's sales by at least two hundred percent," Katie replied as her brother talked to the hostess and Camille and Carlos were conversing.

Logan was impressed, "Wow, that is smart. What does he write about?"

Katie shrugged, "Anything and everything, really. I've seen blogs on haircare, girls, acting...there was one where it was just pictures of himself. That actually was his most popular one to date."

Logan chuckled, "I can't believe that James is sort-of a writer."

Katie giggled along with him, "Well, he was always good with words, especially appealing to the female sex. His best talent really is charming the ladies," she joked.

The five friends enjoyed their dinner of pizza covered in an absurd amount of toppings, courtesy of Carlos, congratulating each other and simply having a good time. Katie couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this hard.

"So, Katie-cakes, what's your surprise?" Carlos questioned Katie, as he bit into his sixth slice of pizza.

Katie wiped her mouth with a napkin and grinned, "Okay, I know how much you guys love and miss the Californian beaches, so get ready to spend this weekend surfing the waves in Malibu! I got Russell and Katy to lend me their beach house."

"No way!"

"Awesome!"

"That's so sweet."

"Is there anything you can't do, baby sister?"

Katie beamed as the others expressed their joy. She loved seeing the guys get riled up in excitement. While Katie still didn't like swimming in the ocean, she loved lounging poolside, something that she frequently did when they all lived at the Palm Woods. She was lucky that Russell and Katy were currently vacationing in India and that Russell thought that it was a good idea for Katie to relax and enjoy herself before he returned. Katie didn't tell him that she planned to read scripts while she was out there.

Camille excitedly grabbed onto Katie's arm and squealed out that this gave them the perfect opportunity to go shopping for some beachwear together tomorrow. Katie was about to protest, knowing that she had more than enough swimsuits to last the whole week, but she reluctantly agreed when she saw that Cam was about to turn on her waterworks. Katie gently shook her head and rolled her eyes when Camille clapped her hands together and started chattering about what stores they should go to tomorrow.

* * *

><p>The next day, Katie happily strolled into her office. Katie knew that she had to deal with the Fulton crisis, but she decided not to tell James until after the weekend getaway for the gang. She had told Logan and Carlos to tell James about the trip when they got home last night.<p>

As usual, Magdalene was seated behind the receptionist's desk, dutifully managing Katie's schedule. She greeted her boss cheerfully, when she saw Katie's good mood. "Good morning, there, Sunshine. What's the occasion? I haven't seen you this happy since we first started."

Katie grinned, as she opened the door to her office, "It's going to be a good day, Mags."

Magdalene followed Katie, holding a stack of paper to her chest. She quirked an eyebrow before speaking, "Are you on drugs or something? You're never optimistic about anything. You made me take down all the motivational quotations that I had surrounding my computer screen."

Katie laughed, "Really, Mags? Drugs? Surely, I'm more likely to have gotten laid, right?" Katie joked as she seated herself behind her desk.

"Normally, I would agree, but you're missing that after-sex glow," Mags quickly quipped before giggling. She placed the stack of papers in front of Katie. "Here are the rest of the CV's that we've received."

"Oh, excellent," Katie said as she quickly flipped through the pile.

"Also, I called Tony and Daniella, and they want you and James to stop by their studio tomorrow."

Katie looked up, no longer smiling, "Tomorrow? Ah shit, I'm supposed to go to Malibu tomorrow. Is there anyway that they can push it to today? You know what, I'll just give them a call. Oh, and I completely forgot to mention yesterday, but we're going to need to find Carlos an agent _today_. He already got a callback and he needs someone to sign the papers if he lands the gig. Can you email me the agent contact list, I want to personally look for the perfect match."

"Sure, anything else you need done, Kate?"

"Not right now, thanks so much, Mags." Magdalene left Katie in peace as Katie trolled through the CV's. Even though Fulton had threatened to buy out Katie's company, she wasn't going to go down without a fight, which meant that she would need all the help that she could get. There weren't many people who stuck out prominently, only one actually managed to impress Katie. She paged Mags and told her to set up an interview with a Jack Schooler for the next week.

After Katie finished leafing through the applicants, she made a phone call to Daniella. "Hey Daniella, it's Kate. I'm great, how are you are?" Katie smiled as she exchanged pleasantries with her friend. "Listen, my assistant just told me that you wanted me to stop by tomorrow to look at the proofs, but I won't be able to..." Katie trailed off as her friend interrupted her. "Exactly, Daniella, it'll be a _Saturday_, you know, when people usually _don't_ work. Can't you try to squeeze us in today? Uh huh, I see. What about next week?" Katie leaned back in her seat, twirling herself around so that she could look outside her window. "Right, I forgot that this a rush project. What if you and Tony just picked out the photos yourselves?" Katie knew it was a long shot to ask the photographer to exclude the subjects from finalizing the shots. She listened intently as her friend explained how it was crucial for all sides of the project to have input. "Okay, fine, we'll be there, _early_," she sighed frustratedly, "you owe me one, Daniella," she laughed as Daniella jokingly scoffed. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

Katie hung up her phone, making a note to tell James that they had some work to do before they could head to the beach house. She checked her email for the agent list and saw that Mags had promptly got it to her. She quickly dialled James' home number and put it on speakerphone so she could scroll through the list and talk at the same time.

"Hello?" James' voice sounded through Katie's office.

"Hey James, it's Katie."

Katie heard James perk up, "Hi Katie. Carlos and Logan told me about Malibu, that's so awesome, I haven't had the opportunity to hit the waves in a while."

"Yeah, well, you and I will have to stick around here for a little while before we can go. Tony and Daniella want us to see the proofs from the shoot and it's part of their artistic hoopla for everyone to come to an agreement of which pictures should be used. They have no time to squeeze us in today and the project is due on Monday, so we'll have to show up at their studio tomorrow morning," Katie hashed out, filling James on the details.

"Oh man," Katie heard James groan. "Fine, they're lucky that this is for 'Cuda."

Katie smiled, "Thanks, James, hey, can you get Carlos on the line?"

"No problem, Little Kitty," Katie groaned and rolled her eyes at James' attempt at giving her a nickname.

"Yeah, that's not happening."

"Why not? Carlos and Kendall get to call you something special," James pouted through the phone.

"Yes, but they've been calling me those nicknames since I was a kid. Besides, technically speaking, 'Katie' is a nickname," Katie smirked.

She heard James gasp in epiphany. "That's right..." Katie raised an eyebrow as James stopped speaking abruptly. She rolled her eyes again when she heard what he had to say next, "What is 'Katie' short for again?"

"You've known me for twenty-two years, and you're telling me that you don't know what my full name is?"

"Hey! We've been calling you 'Katie' for years, it's not my fault if I can't remember. I know that it's short for either Katherine or Katelyn, I think."

Katie giggled and shook her head, "Just put Carlos on the line, please."

"Fine," she heard James grumble before he called out to Carlos quickly. She listened as James ask Carlos if he knew what Katie's full name was. She heard Carlos scoff indignantly before affirming that he knew.

"Hi Katie-cakes," Carlos chirped happily as he got on the phone.

"Hey Carlos," Katie greeted.

"So," Carlos' voice dropped to a whisper, "what does 'Katie' stand for?"

"What?" Katie cried out, now in complete disbelief that none of the guys that she grew up with could remember her birth name. "If you don't know, I'm not telling. Now," she huffed, trying to get back to the reason she needed to talk to him in the first place. "I need you to come down to my office before we head over to the studio for your audition. I want to run over the possible agents that you may want to work with and see if we can arrange a quickie meeting with any of them. We really need to get this ball rolling for you."

She heard Carlos give an excited squeal, "This is so cool, we're going agent hunting. Okay, I'll be there as soon as James can drop me off."

Katie spent the rest of her morning going over details about James' career, paying particular attention to his music business. She already knew that James was successful from the amount of radio play for every one of his songs and the impressive number of platinum certifications, but looking over the financial details, she was astonished at his net value. She looked over his legal contract with Gustavo and found that the producer had given him a much more satisfying deal than the contract that Big Time Rush originally had; Katie was sure that the contract was negotiated by James' agent.

Katie had spoken to Chris White once, over the phone, earlier that week, when she had introduced herself and explained the last minute modelling crisis. Katie had heard of Chris White in passing, and updated herself by doing a quick search on his profile online. She didn't gather much about him, only knowing that he had a few big name celebrities under his wing and that he went from an independent company to the largest agency corporation in Hollywood. From the work that he had done for James, she was satisfied with his level of competency.

Katie set to work on creating a detailed work portfolio for Carlos after she was finished with her reading up on James. Normally, the client would already have a portfolio by the time Katie is hired as a manager, but she knew that Carlos would not have one created and she didn't trust Carlos coming up with a decent one. She highlighted his career with Big Time Rush and while irrelevant to his future career, she did mention his academic successes.

The day that Carlos graduated college was the day that Katie was most proud of him. Everyone had assumed that Carlos would take after his dad and become a police officer, but he surprised everyone when he presented acceptance letters to colleges across America. Unable to choose a specific career, he did a general studies major, dabbling in everything from political science to botany. Katie made sure that she was the first one to congratulate him when he got his diploma.

His desire to explore the world trumped his desire to settle down and spent the most recent years doing that. It seemed though, that Carlos never shook off the celebrity bug, as his return to Los Angeles once again steered him into the limelight. Katie was happy with his decision, with much persuasion on her part. Carlos was charismatic, his outgoing and loveable personalty was just the kind of thing that Hollywood needed.

Katie placed the finishing touches on Carlos' portfolio just as he strode into her office. Katie could see Mags' bewildered look over his shoulder as she had not yet notified Katie of his arrival.

Katie grinned and loudly called out, "It's fine, Mags. I was expecting him." Meanwhile, Carlos looked back and forth between the two women, not understanding the exchange. He shrugged his shoulders and sat down in one of the seats across from Katie.

He smiled happily, "Alright, so what agents do you have lined up for me?"

Katie manoeuvred her computer screen so that both occupants could see the monitor. She quickly pulled up the registry and one of the agents she believed would be interested in working with Carlos and vise versa.

"This is Ali Khan, I took some courses with him at UCLA. He's not as experienced as other agents, but he is enthusiastic about his work. He has an eye for finding ridiculously great projects. His lack of experience may benefit us, as he is probably looking for as many clients as possible at the moment.

Katie glanced over at Carlos before she clicked on another agent. She noticed that he had his 'serious-thinking' face on.

"This is Rachel Chang, she's been in the business for about five years. For someone so tiny, she can be quite ruthless, which is not altogether bad for an agent. She's actually Marka's agent so it may be easier for you to sign a deal for this movie if she's your agent too.

Katie didn't miss Carlos' disgust when she brought up Marka's name.

The next possible agent was Parker Wesley, one of the most well-connected agents in Hollywood. Born to a famous producer and an Oscar-winning director, he had his roots in the business.

"Now, he already has an incredibly long list of clients, but I may be able to get us an interview with him, his assistant happens to be my old roommate." Katie turned her body so that she was facing Carlos and not the screen. "There's also Chris White, James' agent. Now, I really don't know him all that well, but since James is his client, there's a good possibility that he'll want to be your agent as well."

Carlos rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Now, as successful as James is, I don't think I want to share the same agent. I mean, I want to forge my own career, you know? You don't count, you're family so you can manage the both of us." Katie smirked in amusement. "I like the sound of that Ali guy, so let's try him out first."

"Alright. I'll tell Mags to give him a call to see if we can get a meeting, meanwhile," she got up out of her seat with her bag and phone in hand and walked towards the door, "we have to get you to the studio."

Carlos hopped out of his chair with a big grin on his face. "Let's do this thing."

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><p>AN: Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter, maybe enough to leave a review? ;)

A BIG thanks to those who have mentioned what they'd like Katie's full name to be, usually, I like to remain as Canon as possible, but this story is actually pulling me out of my comfort zone, what a rush! For those of you wondering, there _is_ a point to this whole thing. :)

Thanks for reading,

D


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: So sorry for the late update! I was working on this story, but I was adding new material and completely forgot to go back and edit this chapter to upload.

Like always, thanks so much for your kind reviews, they really motivate to keep writing, I've officially reached over 100 pages in this story, which is the longest story I've written, ever! (I'm usually a one-shot writer.)

Also, I still can't believe that you readers are still adding this to your alerts and favourites, it really means so much.

[iluvbtr166]: You are absolutely right, this story does need more Jatie action, and I'm sorry it's taking so long to get around to it; honestly didn't think that trying to incorporate a couple of sub-plots would get in the way. I hope what happens in this chapter will satisfy you a little!

Disclaimer: I don't own BTR and its characters

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><p>Carlos went into his second audition with a happy smile as he didn't see Marka there to assist him running the lines. The director's apparent goal was to gauge Carlos' ability to be appealing to the audience. Katie knew that Carlos would pass this audition with flying colours, his charismatic and child-like energy could make anybody warm up to him easily.<p>

Katie sat in the waiting room while Carlos auditioned. Her phone rang, "Hello? Hey Mags. That's great, okay, thanks for calling." Magdalene had just informed Katie that she was able to book an appointment with Ali Khan, the prospective agent for Carlos for that afternoon. Katie glanced at her watch and bit her lip. She made a call to Camille to push back their proposed shopping trip a few hours, thankfully Camille was free that evening as she shot her scenes in the morning; she would hang around on set that afternoon in case they wanted to do retakes.

Carlos came out of the auditioning room a half hour later, looking rather pleased. Katie shot him a questioning look which he returned with two thumbs up. Katie grinned. She noticed that the director came out of the room with him, she got up out of her seat.

"Kevin, this is my manager K−"

"Kate Knight, I know," Kevin Park interrupted. He eyed Katie, "Aren't you Marka's manager?"

Katie gave her best professional, good-natured smile. "Yes, I am."

Kevin looked over at her, amused, "You usually have your clients act in the same movie?"

Katie chuckled, "Of course not, Mr. Park. I just happen to know that my clients are perfect for your roles."

Kevin smirked happily at Katie's bold comment. He clapped a hand on Carlos' back. "Ms. Knight, I do believe you're right. I can see Carlos playing Peter in my film," the three exchanged smiles at the news. "Of course, nothing is finalized yet, I do have to confer with my producer and casting director, and of course do a few screen tests, but I think we're looking at Hollywood's newest actor."

Carlos gave a toothy grin, he reached out and grabbed Kevin's hand to shake, "Thanks so much, Kevin."

Kevin laughed at Carlos' excitement, "Okay, well, I'm sure I'll be seeing you guys soon," Katie and Carlos watched as the slight Asian man made his way back into the auditioning room.

Katie let out a rare squeal as Carlos pulled her into a hug, "Carlos, I'm so happy for you."

Carlos let go of her to tweak her nose, "All thanks to you, Katie-cakes."

They made their way to Katie's loaned car and decided to get a bite to eat before heading over to meeting with Ali.

When they reached Ali's agency, which comprised of himself and another novice agent, Katie and Carlos began discussing the intricacies of what was to come with this new career. Katie explained to Carlos that he still needed to sign legal documentation that stated the professional relationship with the two, and like James, Katie was entitled to ten percent of Carlos' earnings. She also told him that as an actor, he had an obligation to her, his agent and the studio that is going to produce any of his projects. Katie was well aware that Carlos was listening to her through one ear, his puppy-like excitement for new things distracted him from paying complete attention. She watched as he absentmindedly nodded to what she was saying, but kept flickering his eyes around the waiting room.

"Kate?" A deep voice called out from one of the office doors. Katie swivelled her head to the speaker. She placed a genuine smile on her face as she got up and shook the man's hand.

"Ali, how are you? It's been too long."

"Indeed," Ali smiled, he peered over Katie's shoulder to look at her companion. "This must be Mr. Garcia?" He held out his hand.

"Call me Carlos," Carlos said as he shook Ali's hand.

The agent stepped aside and gestured for his guests to enter his office. Katie and Carlos took a seat. Ali joined them after closing the door and sat across them from behind his desk.

"What can I help you with today?" Ali flashed a sparkling white smile that contrasted with his mocha skin.

Katie got right down to business, "Carlos is need of an agent. He's in the process of being offered a role in an upcoming film, but as you know, he can't make any agreement unless he has a lawyer or an agent to represent him. As Carlos intends to be in the acting industry for a long while, we think," Katie flicked her finger between herself and Carlos, "that it is beneficial for him to have someone who will do their best to support his career, and we think that someone could be you. You're just the guy we need; I know that you always find the most amazing scripts and you have the tenacity to take Carlos' career into the stratosphere." Katie flashed him a winning smile of her own as she crossed her legs.

Ali laughed, "Kate, you're always the charmer, but I must admit, I am intrigued. Though, I have to ask, why me? Let's face it, there are plenty of agents out there, and I bet that more than a dozen of them would be dying for a chance to represent a member of BTR," Ali smirked slightly at their astonished faces.

"You know who I am?" Carlos asked.

"Well, besides the fact that I did look over your portfolio, by the way, you really need to update your headshot, I was a huge fan of your music."

Katie shot Carlos an apologetic look. Unprofessionally, she had included the only decent but old photo of Carlos she had, in his portfolio.

Carlos considered Ali, "You wanna know why I chose you? It's because you remind me of me and Katie. We're all so new at this, that I think that it would be an awesome adventure if we all learned things together." Katie's lips turned up at Carlos' optimism. Carlos continued speaking, "One of my best memories of Big Time Rush was how the guys and I would do things together, and it was always so much fun. I would love to have that experience with you guys." Katie reached across and held Carlos' hand, his confession of missing the gang made her realize that all of them had difficulties adjusting to their new lives.

Ali nodded, "Please, Carlos, tell me some of your aspirations, what do you feel you can achieve?"

"Well, I don't know, I mean, I've literally just stepped foot into this business a couple of days ago, but, I guess it would be amazing to win an Oscar or a Golden Globe one day. I never expected to win a Grammy, but, BTR managed to win three of them," Carlos grinned, remembering one of the band's greatest moments.

"Yes, I remember that," Ali said. "I like your attitude, Carlos," Ali studied Katie and Carlos intently, as he contemplated his decision. "I have to be honest, I would like very much to agree to this partnership, but, I do need more time to go over the details of this arrangement, I'd also have to discuss this with my associate," he paused before looking pointedly at Carlos. "Tell me, are you free for dinner anytime soon? I'd like to get to know you a bit more."

Carlos looked over at Katie with an air of bewilderment. Katie gave him a reassuring smile, before turning to speak with Ali. "Dinner would be perfect. How about some time early next week? Tuesday night?"

Ali smiled, "Sounds good."

Katie stood up and stuck out her hand. "Alright then, I'll have my assistant contact your office with more details."

Ali stood up as well, shaking hands with his guests, "I look forward to it."

They made their way to the door when Katie turned around and smiled at Ali, "Please send my regards to Vida. How is she?" Katie asked about his wife, after the meeting was over.

Ali broke out into a huge grin, "She's doing wonderfully. In fact, we are expecting our first child in March."

Katie gasped and returned the grin, "Congratulations! I'm so happy for the both of you."

"Thank you," they had reached the entrance to the agency. "It's been wonderful seeing you again, Kate, and Carlos, a pleasure to have met you."

Carlos smiled, "Ditto, and congrats by the way." Katie shot him a look, trying to remind him to remain professional. Luckily, Ali found him charming and laughed before waving them off.

Katie laughed and shook her head in amazement, when they stepped into the elevator. Carlos gave her a curious look.

"What?"

"You have got to be one lucky bastard. You're not only in talks to play a lead in a major motion picture, but you're also getting yourself an agent within," Katie dramatically looked at her watch, "less than twenty-four hours and you've accomplished this in less than a week since you've gotten here."

Carlos playfully rubbed her head, "Ah, well, I'm lucky to have known you. I really wouldn't be in this position if you hadn't persuaded me into reading that script."

Katie grinned and jokingly replied, "Just doing it for business." She laughed at his expression. "I'm kidding. Come on, I wanna try getting you some headshots done before I meet up with Camille."

Carlos grumbled, "I hate doing headshots, I'm never good at it."

Katie tilted her head, it was true, Carlos did have trouble in the past with taking solo pictures. For the most part, he had difficulty letting go of Helmet to actually sit still. Thankfully, Helmet was now carefully tucked away at his parents' house. Mrs. Garcia managed to persuade her son to part with his prized possession by telling him that he risked breaking the helmet completely if he kept destroying it the way he did. Carlos reluctantly agreed after a year of persuasion.

"Why don't we go back to James' and you can take a look at what he does for his headshots? I'm sure he's accumulated more than enough to give you some pointers."

"Great idea. I think I want to change into something else as well. I mean, we will be distributing these pictures to various studios. I don't want to look awful."

Katie only laughed at Carlos' worry.

* * *

><p>They arrived, fairly quickly, back to the mansion. Henry greeted them at the door. Carlos zoomed by him, yelling out a quick hello to the help. Katie rolled her eyes and smiled at Henry. "Hi Henry, still hanging, I see," Katie said, referring to the shenanigans that he had to put up with.<p>

"You have no idea, Ms. Knight," Henry stated in his English accent. Katie giggled. "Tea?"

"Yes, please. Is James around?" Katie asked.

"He's out jogging and should be back any moment."

"Hmm," Katie hummed, "'Kay, I'm going to go to his office and look through his portfolios."

Katie saw Henry's eyes widen and was about to protest, "Don't worry, you can tell him it was all me." Katie fluttered her eyes. Henry sighed and made a motion to shoo Katie in the direction of the office. Katie grinned, "Thanks, Henry."

She weaved her way around James' mansion, vaguely remembering where his office was, from the tour that he gave the gang when he first moved in. She found the right door and let herself in. She smirked as she looked around at the pompous décor. She rolled her eyes when she saw the classic armchair in the corner, she could picture James sitting in it wearing a silk robe, a cigar in mouth with a glass of brandy in his hand. Katie went over to his shelf of black albums behind his desk. She recognized the oldest one as the one that she had given him when she acted as his modelling agent when the boys first needed jobs back at the Palm Woods. She pulled as many as she could off the shelf and placed them on his desk to leaf through. Curiosity got the better of her when she saw a blue album sticking out of the many black ones. She grabbed the album and made herself comfortable at the desk. Katie let out a gasp as she opened the album.

In the album were pictures of Katie, all of them from her modelling days. It seemed that James had collected a photo from every shoot. She ran her hand across the plastic covering. What surprised Katie was that none of the pictures depicted her provocatively. She knew that there were a couple where she posed in a more risqué setting, but every one of the photos that James kept were rather classy.

"I meant to give that to you."

Katie quickly looked up at James, perspiring in the doorway. Katie opened and shut her mouth, unable to say anything. James walked into the room and slid the album towards him.

"I called up every photographer in the city to get these. At first, no one would agree to let me have them, but after they recognized my name, and some remembered the occasional appearances you would make with the band, they agreed. Some just gave them to me when they realized that I was collecting them for you," He glanced up at Katie's stunned face. "I really did mean to give this to you, it was meant for your twenty-first birthday."

Katie finally found her voice and got over her temporary paralysis. She thought back to her twenty-first birthday, "You got me a necklace," she subconsciously reached up to play with the one she was wearing. She was suddenly aware that her favourite necklace, the one she wore everyday, a small heart pendant encrusted with diamonds, happened to be the one that he gave her.

"Yes, but my original gift was this," James said, smiling gently.

Katie wanted to ask him why he kept it when Henry and Carlos knocked on the door.

"Your tea, Ms. Knight."

Katie cleared her throat, "Thanks, Henry." She closed the album quickly, but subtlety.

Carlos beamed at his friends, "What are you guys doing?"

"Looking at headshots," Katie replied quickly. She didn't know why she felt she had to hide the fact that James kept a photo album of her from Carlos; she only felt that this was a private matter between them. Normally, if she found out that a guy had been keeping a photo album of her, she would be freaked out, but she couldn't help but think it was a sweet gesture on James' part. Katie grabbed one of the black albums and opened it to a random page. This album seemed to consist of James' more recent photos. She gave him a quizzical look when she spotted a couple of 'in-character' shots, like a secret agent and a teacher.

He shrugged in response.

"Awesome," Carlos cried, as he leapt onto James' desk. He laughed loudly, flipping through an album that consisted of nothing but 'in-character' photos. James smacked the back of Carlos' head.

"Hey, I look good."

"Dude, don't you have any normal pictures?"

"You just can't appreciate real art!"

Katie bit her lip to keep from laughing. She cleared her throat again, "Here, Carlos, why don't you take a look at these ones? They're probably more similar to the ones that you want to take," Katie placed the album she had been looking at in his hands. While Carlos was looking through the photos, she turned to speak to James. "So, tomorrow, I'll come by and pick you up? We'll head over to the studio, and on the way back, we can pick up my car. I'm hoping it'll be ready by then, I haven't heard anything from the garage all day," Katie frowned, pulling her phone out of her pocket, trying to will it to ring.

Carlos' head perked up, "What studio? I thought we were going to Malibu?"

James answered for Katie, "We are, it's just that Katie and I have to go to the photography studio first, to look at the 'Cuda prints for the cologne and perfume campaign. We'll definitely get down to Malibu before midday." Carlos nodded, refocussing his attention to the album.

"Hey, James, you're free right now, right?" Katie asked suddenly, before sipping her tea.

"Yeah, why?"

"I have to meet Camille soon, but Carlos still needs to get these headshots done. Since you're such an expert, would you mind taking Carlos?" Katie asked, enlarging her eyes.

"Don't use your eyes on me!" James shielded his eyes dramatically. Katie threw on a pout for emphasis, knowing that James would peek through his fingers. "Ugh, fine!" He shouted, once he caught a glimpse of her face. "You're lucky I still fall for that face. But, you have to promise to do everything I tell you," he pointed a finger at Carlos.

Carlos scrunched up his face, "Okay, but no stupid costumes."

"Everything or no deal."

Carlos looked over at Katie, pleadingly. She only shrugged, he turned back to James and stuck out his hand and said in defeat, "Deal."

James clasped his outstretched hand, "Good," he looked down at himself, "just let me shower, first," he dashed out of the room.

Carlos squinted his eyes at Katie, "You better hope there aren't any costumes, Katie-cakes."

Katie beamed, "Love you too, Carlos," and headed out, ready to meet Camille.

* * *

><p>AN: I think when I wrote this chapter a while back, I remembered thinking, 'how was it that I've gone this far into the story without bringing up Helmet?' And well, it just wouldn't be a BTR story without bringing in Carlos' love for his headgear ;)

I hope you readers liked this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think!

-D


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I am so sorry about the late update! I'm actually taking my time with these next few chapters, because I may have to change them completely if I decide that I don't like where the story is going and there's also the potential that my story isn't linear, so I have to double check that I'm sticking with same information from previous chapters. I had a plan mapped out, but as I was writing, the story unfolded in a completely different way! So I thank you all for your patience, and I do hope that you like what becomes of it!

[iluvbtr166]: It's coming, I promise! ;) But, you may have to wait a wee bit longer, sorry!

Again, thank you so much for the reviews, 70! Wow, you readers are amazing!

There is a sensitive topic that is brought up in this chapter that I think many girls (and boys) have to deal with in their lives, which really is terrible. I wanted to convey the seriousness of the issue, but to keep the story light, a little bit of humour comes at the end. That is by no means to say that I don't think that this issue is a laughing matter, so I hope you all understand that I don't mean to offend anyone.

I hope you like the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Big Time Rush or any references to the Nickelodeon show

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><p>"So, let me get this straight," Cam said as she rifled through the bikini rack, "you like James, but you don't want to go out with him?"<p>

"Yes," Katie answered, going through a rack of modest one-piece suits.

"You do realize that it's very illogical. Most people would say that you're being stupid. Dating Logan aside, James is very attractive."

Katie sighed and looked up at her friend, she couldn't remember why she started to indulge into her relationship with James. "Cam, it's not simple, we could end destroying so many relations−"

"Oh, that's a bunch of bull," Cam interrupted, "you're the only girl that James is sweet to. Trust me, I know. I've seen how he treats his 'girlfriends,' for all that he's smooth with the ladies, he has never once remembered an anniversary or a birthday." Katie thought back to the necklace and the photo album. "And," Cam continued, "he has _never_ loaned out one of his cars to _anyone_."

"What's your point, Cam?"

"My point is that you're_ it_, Katie. You're the girl that James is in love with. You're afraid of the end of the relationship and I'm trying to tell you that there will be no end. James loves you, he just doesn't know it yet." Katie stopped her browsing and stared at Camille. The actress smirked at her, "You know I'm right. Now will you stop looking through those horrid swimsuits and try these on?" She held up a number of bikinis. "Remind me again, how were you a model?"

* * *

><p>Katie drove herself and Camille to James' mansion after they had finished their shopping excursion and chowed down on some sushi. The guys had called and wanted to meet with them to discuss the weekend trip.<p>

"What do you think?" Carlos asked, excitedly, dropping his new headshots into Katie's lap, the second she sat down on the couch.

Katie studied them, "Nice, these will definitely be an improvement for your portfolio," she handed them back to a happy Carlos. She looked around the room, "So, what are we talking about?"

Kendall spoke up, "Okay, so Logan found out that there's going to be an awesome view of Venus tonight and he wants to check it out, and apparently, L.A.'s lights will only diminish the 'luminous glow of the planet of love,'" Katie heard Camille gush over Logan's description of the planet. "So we were thinking that Camille, Logan, Carlos and I will head down to Malibu tonight. You and James can meet us there tomorrow."

Katie looked over at Camille, sharply, thinking that somehow she planned for James and her to be alone. The other woman showed no sign of knowledge, giving Katie a blank look. Katie silently fumed at the fact that Camille was a professional actress. "Right, I get that Logan and Camille should go first, but why are you and Carlos leaving too?"

"Katie, as much as I love you and your place, we're talking a beachfront mansion here. I've been in Minnesota so long, baby sister, I wanna catch as much sun and surf as possible," Kendall replied.

"And Carlos is mad at me because I made him wear a matador outfit," James added.

"It was the first Big Time Rush photo-shoot all over again!" Carlos cried.

"Hey! You looked good."

Katie grinned, but sighed in defeat, "Okay, so you guys will head down first. I'll drive Cam home so she can get her car," she rose out of her seat. Kendall and Camille followed suit.

"Hey, Katie, can I talk to you for a sec?" Logan called out. Katie gave him a puzzled look, but nodded anyhow. She followed him into the kitchen while the others headed for the door.

"What is it, Logan?"

Logan looked at Katie sternly. "I went to the hospital today, to confirm my residency, when I ran into Dr. Berger." Katie's eyes widened, when she heard her doctor's name. Logan's eyes narrowed in worry, "Why didn't you tell us that you were in the hospital? When Kendall hears about this−"

"No, please, don't tell him, Logan," Katie quickly begged.

"Katie, he has to know."

"I know, I know, and I will. Just, let him enjoy his vacation. I promise I'll tell him before he leaves," Katie thought for a moment. "How did you find out? Isn't there a patient-doctor confidentiality agreement or something?"

Logan remained silent, pondering Katie's answer. "I won't tell him, but I'm keeping you under surveillance. Malnutrition isn't a laughing matter, especially here, in Hollywood. I don't want you to do anything to yourself just to look like those girls in the magazines. I'll be making sure that you eat three proper meals a day and taking your blood pressure at regular intervals. As for me finding out, well, Dr. Berger just asked how you were; she remembered my association with you. She didn't really tell me anything specific," Logan squirmed, "I may have done some snooping around in the hospital's computer system to figure out the rest."

Katie rolled her eyes, but, accepted Logan's restrictions and actions. She missed him doting on her. She couldn't help but add, "I can't believe that you would risk your career, just to find out what the problem was, you could have asked me, and you do realize that I am one of those girls in the magazines, right?"

Logan scowled, "You would've lied to me." Katie shrugged, knowing that he was probably right. "And look where it's landed you. Whose idea was it to let rail-thin girls be the picture of beauty?"

Katie punched Logan in the arm, "I am not rail-thin and I was only hospitalized because I was overworking myself and missed a couple of meals. I saw what the other models did to achieve their figure, and I never would that to myself on purpose. Do you remember what happened to Jessica?" Katie asked referring to an old friend of hers.

Jessica was one of Katie's closest modelling companions, but she was obsessed with her physical appearance. She was always on a diet and Katie knew that she was a victim to bulimia. Katie tried endlessly to get Jessica to consult a a therapist and even forced her to go see a doctor, but Jessica's symptoms slowly worsened and eventually died from cardiac arrhythmia. She was only nineteen.

"I have too much to live for, Logan. I would never risk my life to achieve 'perfect beauty,' I'm completely satisfied with the way I look."

"Good, 'cause you're beautiful," Logan said, almost angrily.

Katie gave him a toothy grin and reached over to pinch his cheeks, "Aw, look who's being sweet," she laughed at his displeasure. "Come on, I have to get going if you want to see your precious Venus in time." She started to head out of the kitchen, but came back to give Logan a squeeze. "Thanks for caring."

Logan's cheeks heated slightly, returning the hug, "Well, I have to take care of you, you're the only one in the family I can have an intelligent conversation with," he joked.

Kendall walked into the kitchen, "What's keeping you, Katie?" He flickered his eyes between the people in the room and crossed his arms, "What are you guys up to? As awesome as it is seeing you help out the guys, you are _my_ baby sister, how about helping me out for a change?" Katie's brother stated.

Katie rolled her eyes, "I'm not helping Logan, in fact, he's helping me."

"With what?" Kendall raised one of his trademark eyebrows.

Katie could hear Logan start to sputter beside her. After all these years, he still blanked out under pressure. In this particular case, Katie felt that Logan didn't have to worry, they could tell the truth.

"Logan's going to help me maintain my health. As you so kindly put it, I'm all 'skin and bones.'" Katie narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice.

"I didn't say that. Did I say that?" Kendall asked, sheepishly. He looked at his imaginary watch, "Oh, look at the time, let's get going, shall we?" He ushered for her to move through the kitchen entrance.

Katie rolled her eyes, but complied to her brother's demand. She could hear the conversation between her brother and Logan behind her.

"So, you're going to get her to eat, right?"

"We'll she is eating, I'm just going to make sure she's eating the right things, taking the right vitamins−"

"So you're going to get her to eat, right?" Katie heard her brother repeat, as if he didn't hear what Logan was saying.

Katie held back a grin as she heard Logan sigh at Kendall's question, "Yes, Kendall, I'll make sure she's eating."

"Good. That's what I want to hear," Kendall said cheerfully, clapping his friend on the back, pushing him towards the door.

* * *

><p>AN: Quite honestly, I wanted to create Katie's character to be strong and independent, someone that could potentially be a role model. I wanted her to be forthcoming about eating disorders; she's smart, and therefore quite aware of the consequences that come with this issue. The confidence that Katie has about her appearance is what I wish everyone would have about themselves (Note: I may have been subconsciously influenced by BTR's Cover Girl-beautiful song with a beautiful message).

I'm sorry about the short length of the chapter...and for the lack of Jatie, but I promise that the next few chapters will ooze with various Jatie moments!

Please leave a review! What do you think of my portrayal of Katie's character? The other characters? I love hearing all your comments, and well, is it too ambitious of me to want 100 reviews by the end of this story? *blushes*

Thanks for making _Hollywood Management_, by far, my most popular fanfiction publication!

Love,

D


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Fast update! Just wanted to send a quick thanks for those who continue to leave a review/favourite/have this story on alert. It really means a lot!

Disclaimer: Don't own Big Time Rush characters or Nestle products mentioned in the story

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><p>Katie got up early on Saturday morning, already packed, ready for her trip. She slipped into a floral maxi-dress and waved her hair for a more beachy look. She was looking forward to her weekend; she wanted to get her mind off the Fulton issue at work. She remembered to bring some of the scripts she had to read for Russell.<p>

She picked up her phone and dialled James' number. "Hey, James, I'll be over at your place in about fifteen," she raised the handle to her luggage bag. "No, I will not pick up some 'Cuda Massive Hold for you. I don't care if your hair will look limp and lifeless." Katie rolled her eyes, "Just be ready."

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><p>"Darlings, oh darlings, you are going to love what we've done," Tony greeted Katie and James, running over to them and placing kisses on her cheeks.<p>

"Hey, Tony," Katie laughed.

"Come! Come! Would you like a latte? James, latte?" Tony escorted them through the door, excitedly.

Katie and James declined his offer. They had reached Daniella, where she was standing, peering over the photographs splayed across the large lit up desk. She glanced up at her guests. "Ah, Button, James," she spread her arms over the pictures, "what do you think?"

Katie heard James give an excited squeal that he quickly turned into a cough, glancing over at Katie, she gave him a knowing smirk. They approached the desk and joined the photographers. James quickly held up one of the photos to study, smiling brilliantly. Katie grinned and shook her head, grabbing a picture as well. She stared down at the picture, it was one where she was straddling James in the office chair. She blushed, Magdalene was correct, the sexual intensity was extreme. James looked over at Katie, causing her to flush even deeper. He smirked at her reaction.

"These are fantastic!" James exclaimed.

"Yes, they are beautiful. You two have the exact type of chemistry needed to sell this campaign. Oh hold on," Daniella paused, hearing the phone ring from within her office. She went to answer the call.

"I have to agree with Daniella on this; Kate, I believe this is your best shoot yet," Tony grinned.

"Tony, come here," Daniella called out.

"You two, continue looking through these, to help us decided, later," Tony said, leaving the desk.

Katie ran her hand over the photos, contemplating which ones she liked best.

"You're absolutely stunning," James whispered, leaning close to Katie as she looked over her solo shots. She caught a whiff of James' mixed musk of 'Cuda man spray and himself. "I didn't get the chance to tell you that day."

Katie's cheeks maintained their rosy colour, and tried to alleviate her embarrassment, "So are you saying that I'm not attractive if I'm not dolled up for my photo-shoots?"

"Don't put words in my mouth! I didn't say that," James replied immediately, reaching around her to pick up another photo, brushing up to her in the process, causing Katie's spine to tingle.

Katie giggled, hoping that he didn't notice. "I was only kidding, James. Thanks, though. I would compliment you, too, but I don't want to inflate your already over-inflated ego."

James smiled, "Go ahead, I don't mind."

Katie rolled her eyes, and returned to studying the photos.

"So, which ones are your favourite?" Katie looked up to see Tony and Daniella return.

"It's hard to choose," Katie smiled, straightening up, "Tony, you did an amazing job." James nodded his head in agreement, crossing his arms, causing his biceps to flex under his t-shirt. Katie tried not to notice, but her eyes kept flicking to him on their own accord.

"Oh darling, you're too sweet," Tony said, feigning modesty.

Daniella moved aside the prints that she and Tony had agreed were the best ones. The four of them spent the next hour discussing which ones they would use for the campaign. They finally came to an unanimous decision of which photos they would present to 'Cuda.

"Button, James, you guys did wonderfully. I'll expect a pretty paycheque for this," Daniella teased, "but, of course, you two don't really have to worry about this, not, with your prosperous careers."

"It's really about the opportunity to represent 'Cuda for me," James answered, "but, then again, this would definitely help pay for my yacht," he joked, causing everyone to laugh.

Katie looked at her watch and ruefully stated, "We really have to get going."

"Oh, of course," Tony cried out, before leaning in and kissing her cheeks again. "We must have a celebratory dinner, soon." He reached over and pulled James into a hug, Katie spotted James saying something into the photographer's ear, causing him to nod enthusiastically in response. James grinned and clapped the man on the back.

"We can't thank you enough, for doing this for us on such short notice," Daniella added before embracing Katie, then James.

"It was no problem, besides, I owed you guys one," Katie replied. "We'll definitely have to have dinner, one night."

She and James left the studio and made way to the garage, to check on Katie's car.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean my car is junk?" Katie screamed at the oil-stained mechanic. James held Katie back, before she made any attempts to physically harm the man.<p>

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do? Money's not an issue," James added, calmly.

"I'm sorry to say, but you're probably better off buying a new car, with what we need to fix this car, it's just not worth it," the mechanic answered.

Katie let out a noise between a whimper and a growl. She noticed James giving her a questioning look, before he returned his attention to the man. "Thanks, listen, we're going to need time to decide, can you keep the car here for the weekend?"

The mechanic nodded quickly, sweating underneath Katie's intimidating glare. James thanked the man again, before guiding Katie out the entrance towards his car. He was about to place Katie in the passenger seat, when she let out another growl and headed towards the driver's seat.

"Are you sure you can drive in your condition?" James asked, hesitantly.

"Just get in," Katie yelled frustratedly, climbing into her own seat. James shrugged and buckled up. Katie knocked the steering wheel, "I really don't need this right now, I love my car." She looked in the rearview mirror and backed out of the driveway.

James was silent as Katie sped down the street, heading for the freeway. She glanced over at James, questioning his silence, "Isn't this the part where you tell me that this is the perfect opportunity for me to get a new car?"

"Well, I would, except I'm too worried about my life being endangered by your crazy driving!" James shouted. "And, I was going to suggest that you keep this car. Whoa, keep your eyes on the road, please," James added, seeing Katie staring at him with her mouth open.

Katie slowed down and concentrated on the road, "James, I can't accept this, it's way too much."

"Please," James scoffed, "this car is an old model and I was planning on getting you something for agreeing to manage me. It's the least I could do."

"You don't need to−"

James interrupted her, "Yes, I do."

Katie grumbled to herself, "I'll think about it," she finally relented. James grinned and turned on the radio. They made their way out the city, until they were driving along the coastline.

Like he had read Katie's mind, James spoke up, turning down the volume, "Doesn't this remind you of old times when you and I would drive around? It's nice, I missed this."

"You miss teaching your best friend's younger sister how to drive?" Katie asked, skeptically.

James nudged her, "You know what I mean, and besides, you haven't been 'just Kendall's baby sister,' in a long time. In fact, I think it was because of these car rides that you became something more."

Katie placed one hand over her heart and sarcastically said, "Awww, you're so sweet." James frowned before Katie laughed, "Kidding, those driving practices meant a lot to me, too. I mean, you and I never really talked before then, you were too busy with the band, and girls, and I always had my head stuck in a video game or some teen magazine. Those lessons gave us a reason to connect."

James nodded, looking out the windshield, "I told you things I have never told anyone else."

"Really?"

"Yeah," James looked over at Katie, "there's not that many people who listen to me like you do, Katie. The guys, they're the best, but I know that if I tell them any of my insecurities, they'd laugh at me. It's like they think that I'm too egotistical to even consider that I might not be centre-stage one day."

"You know they love you," Katie assured him.

"I know, but it'd be great if they could take me seriously once in a while."

"I don't think any of you take each other seriously," Katie joked, "but that's what's great about you guys, not one of you doubts that the others will triumph in achieving your dreams. You always have each other's backs."

They continued driving, Katie paying attention to the road, while James looked out at the scenery. The silence between them was comforting, as if each other's presence was enough. Katie thought back to what James had said, the old car rides meant a lot to each other. She kept mentally replaying his confession that she became 'something more' to him, not knowing if he just meant as a sister or as a friend. She gently shook her head, not wanting to attract James' attention; she had to stop reading into things, but it was getting harder and harder to deny that she wanted him for herself.

James cleared his throat, "So, how's um, how's Michael?" He asked, out of the blue, "Just trying to make conversation, and you know, he gave you a lift the other day."

"He's fine, we're actually going to have dinner sometime soon."

A moment passed before James answered, "So...you're dating him again?" Katie could feel his eyes on her every move.

"I never said that."

"So, you're not seeing him?"

"I never said that, either."

"So which is it?" James questioned harshly.

Katie glared at him for a short second, before returning her attention to her driving, "What does it matter to you? You're dating Beverly," Katie added, sourly. The mood in the car doing a complete turn around from moments ago.

"It doesn't matter to me," James snapped.

"Fine."

"Fine," James responded, turning on the radio again. His ballad, _We Don't Know_, Katie's favourite, was playing. Katie gripped the wheel, before changing the station.

"Hey, that's my song," James yelled, offended.

"Oh, sorry," Katie said sarcastically, "I don't feel like listening to you, right now."

James slumped in his seat, silent until they began to near their destination. He turned off the radio, once again, "We gotta stop fighting over stupid things," he paused for a minute and grabbed her right hand off the steering wheel. He began tracing his thumb over the back of her hand, staring out his side of the car, "I hate fighting with you."

Katie noticed that they only fought over their love lives, but she didn't want to bring up that fact to her companion. She just sighed and nodded, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in her hand. "I hate fighting with you, too," Katie turned on to the street, spotting Russell Brand's beach mansion, "And, that's actually my favourite song of yours, Gustavo did an amazing job with that one."

James grinned, happy that their argument was over, "It's my favourite, too. Gustavo told me that he wrote it, thinking about my personal life, but I never found out who he was talking about," he stopped speaking, grinning broadly as they drove up the driveway, "Katie, this is amazing! I love Malibu!" He shouted, finally letting go of her hand.

Katie laughed at his excitement, "I'm surprised that you don't have a place down here."

"In time, Kit-Kat, in time," Katie scrunched up her nose, James pouted, "Oh, come on, that one's cute."

"I'd rather not be associated with a chocolate bar, thanks," Katie replied, stepping out of the car and stretching her arms above her head, "Why are you so hung up about this? Logan doesn't have a nickname for me and he's fine with it."

"Logan's a stick-in-the-mud, he doesn't have a nickname for anyone," James said, as he pulled up the trunk door and pulled out their bags. Katie could only agree.

She walked to the back of the car and closed the trunk door for him, and they made their way up to the front doors.

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><p>AN: Just to let you readers know, I don't mean to offend anyone when Katie shoots down these various nicknames that others may use in their own stories. I actually find them quite adorable.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this story, so please, leave a review!

-D


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait on this update. I haven't had time to sit and write. I hope this chapter will make up for my long absence!

A BIG thanks to unpublishedWRITTER and SWACGleekFreak for referring _Hollywood Management_ to their readers. If you haven't already, I highly suggest you check out their stories!

Since I'm mentioning writers, how can I possibly forget to mention abbyli, who has a great Jatie story in the works, _Between a Whisper and a Kiss_. And also, two writers who are taking the Jatie community by storm, Jatieluv and Science-Fantasy93 (aka JatieFantasy), are definitely worth checking out!

Again, thanks to all of you who continue to read this story. Thanks for making this my most popular story to date!

Disclaimer: Still no legal affiliation with Big Time Rush

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><p>Katie settled into the only guest room on the main floor while James took one of the rooms upstairs. She loved the open concept of this place, she had a wall-to-wall window opening out to a spectacular view of the ocean. She walked around the house, searching for her brother and their friends. She entered the living room and saw James coming down the stairs, now dressed in beach shorts.<p>

"Hey, Katie, did you see the guys? None of them were upstairs."

Katie shook her head, "I guess they're down on the beach or at the pier."

"Okay, cool." James made his way to slide the door to make his way to the ocean. He turned around to look at Katie. "You coming?"

Katie gave him a look a disbelief, "I don't like the beach, remember? Seagulls, salt water..." she scrunched up her nose, "not really my thing. If you need me, I'll be lounging by the pool."

James laughed at Katie's expression before putting on his sunglasses and running down to the beach. Katie watched his retreating back, before returning to her room and grabbing a script for reading material. She remembered to slather on sunscreen before heading out to soak in some rays. When she reached the pool, she dropped her stuff on a chaise before pulling the strings holding up her dress; the white bikini Cam had forced her to buy, already on. Katie was originally reluctant to buy a white suit, knowing the risks that came with it, but she quickly grew fond of it in the dressing room and decided to purchase it. She placed her dress on the back of the lounge chair and settled herself down. She spent an hour reading the script for Russell before growing tired of the silence. Katie stood up, ready to head back inside to grab her iPod, dropping the script in the process. She bent down to retrieve it, during which, a thud sounded behind her. Katie quickly straightened her back and turned to look at the commotion, finding James sprawled out on the steps connecting the beach to the mansion.

"James! Are you alright?" Katie dropped the script onto the seat and ran over to help the man up to his feet.

"Yeah," James mumbled, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes, getting up.

"What happened?"

Katie saw James' face tinge pink, "I−uh, tripped up the stairs."

Katie frowned, "Thanks for the notice, Captain Obvious."

"Well, I was distracted. What exactly are you wearing?" James avoided looking anywhere, but Katie's face.

Katie folded her arms, "A bathing suit."

James bugged out his eyes, and gestured to Katie's body, still only looking into her eyes, "_That_ is not a bathing suit, it's _very_ small pieces of fabric, glued to your body!"

Katie narrowed her eyes, "Excuse me? I don't think my attire is really any of your business."

"What would Kendall think?" James rushed out.

"Don't bring my brother into this! And what about all the girls you date? I don't see you complaining about them," Katie replied, poking James in the chest.

"I−ch−guh−you're making it very hard to be friends, right now!" James spluttered.

Katie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, wanting James to explain. But, she suddenly noticed that he was trying too hard to maintain eye-contact with her. Katie realized what the problem was and decided to mess around with him. She smirked evilly as she crossed her arms again, "Do you think I'm pretty, James?"

He raised his head, looking into the house behind her, his face now cherry red, "I always think you're pretty," he mumbled.

Katie stepped closer to him, slowly tracing a finger up and down his chest, getting a kick out of his embarrassment. James quickly drew in his breath at the feeling of her touch, automatically dropping his gaze back down to her face. Katie bit her lip and batted her eyes before asking her next question.

"Do you think I'm sexy, James?" She whispered huskily. Katie heard James let out a moan, and gulped audibly, causing her to giggle and back away from the tall man. "I totally got you!" Katie continued giggling, as James' eyes grew wide and then narrowed quickly in anger.

"Katie!" James shrieked, he pointed a finger menacingly towards her, "That was uncool. I'm totally going to get you back for that," he threatened, before stomping his way into the mansion. Katie let out a hearty laugh, and chased after him, throwing on a bathrobe and grabbing her phone.

"James, come on. James! It was only a joke."

"Not a very good one!" He pouted, opening the fridge and taking out the orange juice container.

"Use a glass," Katie instructed.

James narrowed his eyes, as he slammed the carton onto the kitchen island and went to the cabinet to grab a glass. "It's one thing to mess with me, it's another thing to toy with," he gestured down to his crotch, 'other James.'"

Katie howled, dropping her head onto the counter, not hearing the front door open behind her. Between her laughs, she burst out, "You named your penis 'other James'? Why not 'mini-James,' like every other guy's counterpart?"

James smirked, "Trust me, my 'counterpart' is anything but mini." Katie stopped laughing and flushed at the innuendo.

For the second time that day, she heard a thump coming from behind her, she turned around to see that Kendall had dropped various grocery bags onto the floor, jaw hanging open. Camille and Logan walked in behind him, staring quizzically at Kendall.

"Please, baby sister, don't tell me that you and James were talking about his...his..." Kendall groaned, unable to finish the sentence.

Katie tilted her head, "What? His penis?"

Kendall gasped, covering his ears, "Stop saying it!" Camille and Logan only smirked, carrying more grocery bags into the kitchen. James stood silent behind the island, drinking his orange juice.

"Penis!" Katie shouted, a little too gleefully.

"Boobs!" Carlos interjected, as he walked in, closing the door behind him. He smiled happily, glancing back and forth between the Knight siblings. "What game are we playing?"

Kendall stared daggers at his friend before picking op the dropped parcels, "It's not a game, Carlos, Katie and James were talking about−don't even think about it!" Kendall warned, as he spotted Katie opening her mouth. She shut her mouth, biting her tongue to keep from laughing.

Logan, ever the sensible one, decided to speak up, "Will you guys just help us put the stuff away?" James set down his glass and opened the fridge to organize anything that needed to go in.

Katie bounded happily over to Camille's side, grabbing items that the curly brunette had pulled put of the grocery bag. Cam quickly tugged at Katie's bathrobe, causing the girl to let go of what she was holding to pull the robe tighter. Camille, unashamed of her actions, only smirked knowingly when she caught a glimpse of what Katie was wearing underneath. All of them continued to put away the bought items, joking and laughing.

Katie's phone rang as soon as the gang finished up in the kitchen, "Hello? Oh, hey mom, how's it going?" Katie saw her brother turn his ear when she announced who was calling, "Everything is great, we're actually taking a mini-vacation, right now; we're at Russell's house in Malibu. Yes, mom, I made sure the guys put on sunblock before going to the beach," she fibbed. The boys all heard her little lie and silently thanked her. They knew that if Katie told the truth, Jennifer Knight would take the first flight over, to make sure that they weren't exposed to the harmful UV rays of the sun. She lowered the phone a bit to speak to the room, "Mom says hi." Everyone returned the greeting, Carlos even attempted to take the phone away from Katie, but she swatted him away. "How's that book club coming along? Yoga retreat, really?" Kendall flashed Katie an I-told-you-so look. "That sounds great. It's a long story, I'll have to call you back to tell you all about it. I know, I know, I promise I'll make time to come visit. Love you, too. Okay, I'll tell him. Bye, mom."

Carlos pouted, "You didn't let me talk to Mama Knight."

"If I did, you two would be gabbing away for hours. Call her up when we get back to L.A." Katie told him firmly. She turned to her brother and smiled sweetly, "Mom wanted to remind you that you shouldn't make me do any of your laundry while you're here, and that you should make sure that you have enough clean underwear."

Kendall smacked his forehead and groaned in embarrassment, his former bandmates laughed at him. Katie laughed along with them, but was distracted by a text message. "Hey, Russell sends his greetings, and wants to remind you to stay out of his greenhouse."

"I wonder what's in there," Logan wondered aloud.

Katie held up a finger, "Nuh-uh, you guys are not going to go into that greenhouse. Do you not remember the last time that you guys did things at someone else's mansion, when you were explicitly told not to?"

"Katie, that was years ago, we're older, now," Carlos pointed out. "We're men!" Katie and Cam exchanged looks of disbelief before cracking up. The guys were affronted by their amusement.

Camille wiped away an imaginary tear, "You guys may have aged, but your maturity level has not changed since you guys were at the Palm Woods."

"Hey," Logan exclaimed to his girlfriend.

Camille placed a hand on his arm, "Oh, Logie, don't you remember which boxers you're wearing today?"

Logan coloured. Carlos leaned in excitedly and asked Camille which ones Logan was wearing.

"His Dr. Bear ones, they're so adorable."

Logan groaned, "Camille!"

Camille looked at him, innocently, "What? They are. Now, come on, we are wasting precious beach time. I say we should have a bonfire, tonight. I mean, we did buy all that meat and s'mores ingredients. And, tomorrow night, we should have dinner at that new restaurant by the pier." Everyone nodded, agreeing to Camille's plan.

The gang had dispersed to their rooms, gearing up for a day on the beach, Katie went back to hers to grab her iPod and another script. She still didn't want to go down to the beach, quite yet."

She came back to the living to catch the tail-end of the conversation between her brother, Logan and Camille about a game of beach volley-ball. James and Carlos had already raced each other down to the beach. Kendall wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "You gonna join us?"

Katie shook her head, "Not now, I still have to read these scripts and I still don't want to deal with any seagulls."

"But, Katie, you're on vacation. Besides, we don't have any cheese-puffs for seagulls to steal," Kendall added, still trying to tempt his sister.

"Not happening, big bro, but, I'll be down later for the bonfire, I promise."

"Fine, but if you're not on the beach before sunset, I'm dragging you down and dumping you into the ocean, sea salt and all," Kendall threatened, jokingly, causing his sister to push him away. Kendall laughed and grabbed his things before leaving the mansion with Camille.

"Katie?" Logan called out.

"Yeah?"

"I created a nutrition track sheet for you. All you have to do is fill in the chart with the meals that you have each day. That way, I can see if you are eating healthy or not. So," he poised a pen over the sheet, "what did you have for breakfast?"

Katie groaned, closing her eyes. She had forgotten to eat that morning, in the rush of going to the photography studio. She opened one eye, hoping that Logan had left. He hadn't. Logan looked disapprovingly at her, "You didn't eat, did you?"

"I'm sorry," Katie cried, "it was an honest mistake. I was in a rush and−"

"No excuses, Katie. Seat yourself down, I'm going to make you a sandwich, right now."

"Logan, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to forget..." Katie trailed off, watching Logan open and slam the fridge door, preparing her meal. He fumed silently, but worked diligently. Katie watched, waiting for him to acknowledge her apology.

He finally placed down the jar of mayonnaise and sighed, looking over at her, "Katie, you can forget to do the dishes, or forget to set the alarm, but you can't forget to eat. Nobody forgets to eat, our body gives us signs that we need to nourish it, like our stomachs growling, imagining various meals...you really need to start taking care of yourself. I'm just scared that you may have an eating disorder."

Katie shook her head furiously, "No. I know, Logan, I don't have one." Katie knew that she sounded like she was in denial, but she believed that she was smart enough to recognize the symptoms of anorexia. She went around the island to stand by Logan, and for the first time since he got here, she could see the tired lines around his eyes, and it hit her how much he had aged in the past few years. Katie felt her heart clench at the worry in his eyes. She grabbed his hand.

"If we lost you..."

"You won't. I promise. I'll set a reminder for each meal on my phone, so that this doesn't happen, again. I'll fill in that chart for you, I'll take my vitamins and supplements, I'll do whatever it takes to be healthy," she wrapped her arms around Logan's neck to hug him.

She felt his arms go around her, "I know you're Kendall's sister, but, you're mine, just as much."

Katie squeezed Logan tighter, before letting go, "Love you, too, Logan." Katie playfully knocked him on the shoulder, "When did you get so grown up?"

Logan chuckled, getting back to making her a sandwich, "I don't know, probably around the same time that you stopped reading comic books."

Katie frowned, seating herself on a stool, "But I haven't stopped..."

Logan winked at her, handing over her lunch, "Exactly."

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><p>After lunch, Katie immersed herself once again, into her work. When the sun began to lower, she went back into her room and put on a long dress shirt that cinched at her waist and carried a shawl with her for the cool night by the fire. She headed down to the beach, carefully avoiding any birds flying overhead. When she reached the shore, she found Camille and Logan starting the fire.<p>

"Hey guys, need some help?"

Camille smiled, "Hey, would you mind calling the guys over, Carlos wanted to be the first one to roast something over the fire, and I am starving!"

Katie giggled and dropped her things down. Her brother, Carlos and James were playing with a football in the shallows of the water. She ran towards them and hopped onto Kendall's back, much like she did when she was younger. He, automatically, held onto to her thighs, so she wouldn't fall.

Kendall turned his head to look at her, "Hey, baby sister, wanna play?"

Katie purposefully shook her head so that her hair would fly into his face, she heard him sputter, trying to avoid getting a mouthful of her hair. She giggled, "Nope, Cam wants Carlos to start cooking, the fire's ready."

Carlos waded over to them, James following close behind. "The fire's ready?" Carlos asked excitedly, looking over the Knight's to see for himself. He let out a whoop and promptly ran over to the brunette couple. The three of them watched as the Latino tackled Logan to get to his food.

Kendall started walking back as well, still carrying Katie on his back. "So, were you working all day? You do realize that this is a vacation, right?" Her brother reminded her again.

She slapped him on top of his head, "Yes, but, I was trying to finish reading all the scripts so that I could spend all day with you, tomorrow."

Kendall gleefully looked around at his sister, "Really, all day? Even if I want to spend part of it on the beach, where there's birds, and sand and salt?"

Katie stuck out her tongue, "Yes, even then." They both laughed, Kendall let go of Katie so that he could head over to the food.

James stood close to Katie, "Were you guys always that adorable, together? It's kind of sickening," he chuckled.

"Funny, James."

"You know I'm joking. I think it's nice that you guys have such a close relationship. You don't often see siblings so close, especially with a large age difference."

Katie shrugged, "We're not really _that_ far apart in age," she looked over at her brother, who was currently playing swords with Carlos with their meat sticks. "I'm glad I have him. When dad left, Kendall tried to take his place, but he was only seven, I could only love him more for trying."

James kicked the sand, "I remember, sort of. Kendall was really down about the whole thing, he didn't play hockey for days, all he would do was sit on the porch, waiting for your dad to come back. Carlos and I didn't know what to do. But then one day, your mom had to go grocery shopping and my mom was to mind us in the front yard, and she left you in one of those baby-carriers beside Kendall on the porch. I can't remember exactly what happened, but, Carlos made you cry and you wouldn't stop. My mom went inside for snacks, so she didn't know what was happening. Carlos tried to get you stop by making faces, but you only cried harder. I tried to get you to stop by dangling my lucky comb in front of you. Hey, I was only seven!" James said, when he saw the look of disbelief on Katie's face, "Anyway, that didn't work, either. Then Kendall turns around, finally, to look at you, and just like that, you stopped. You grabbed onto his one of his fingers and wouldn't let go, and he just sat there, staring at you until your mom came home." They both looked over at Kendall, who was laughing and eating with the others. "I think, in a way, you kind of saved him, because he was back to normal, the only difference was that he made sure to spend time with you each day."

"Are you guys going to join us or what? Get over here!" Kendall called out.

"I'm surprised you remembered that, James," Katie said as they resumed their walk over to the gang.

"Yeah, well, it's because of Kendall, that I try to be a good brother to Shayla," James said, referring to his half-sister from his father's second marriage.

"Oh, Shayla, how is she? She's what, like ten, now?"

"Eleven. She's alright, last I heard, she's starting to like boys, dad is starting to go crazy."

They laughed, and quickly joined with the others.

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><p>The group finished eating and were now enjoying each other's company around the fire pit, Carlos smiled from ear-to-ear, "Hey, this is the first time that all of us have spent time together since we got here," the others chuckled and nodded.<p>

Katie looked up at the sky and suddenly remembered, "Oh hey, Logan, how was Venus, last night?"

Logan looked across, and excitedly exclaimed, while Carlos and Kendall groaned, "Katie, it was so cool. You could even see Venus without a telescope. Thank goodness it was such a clear night. We had such a good view, didn't we, Camille?"

Camille sighed, dreamily, "I love it when you talk nerdy." Logan flushed and the guys snickered. Katie just smiled.

Katie was happy that she managed to arrange for this mini-trip for everyone. She was going to be able to spend time with her brother. Camille and Logan, who were now cuddling, were able to spend time together, away from prying eyes. Carlos was able to use this trip to get back into the Californian lifestyle, and James also needed the break. He had been working non-stop for the past few years, establishing his acting career and releasing a solo album. Katie was glad that he was able to have this time to himself, catching some waves and just being detached from his life in Los Angeles, or so Katie thought.

"Hey, when's Bev coming?" Carlos asked James, heating another marshmallow.

Katie caught James glance at her, before turning to answer Carlos. He cleared his throat, "Um, tomorrow afternoon."

"Who's Bev?" Kendall questioned.

"James' new girlfriend," Carlos sang out, teasing James.

Katie could feel Cam watching her every move. Katie abruptly stood up, unable to handle her friend's sympathetic look. "I'm just going to go for a walk. Gotta digest the food," Katie plastered on a smile. James avoided looking at her.

"Okay, but don't go too far," Kendall said happily, unaware of the mounting tension. Katie nodded, grabbing her shawl, and started to leave.

Carlos chased after her, "Katie! Katie! Hey," he reached out for her arm, stopping her in her tracks, "I'm sorry, Katie, I completely forgot."

Katie gave him a slight smile, "It's fine, Carlos, I'm okay. I mean, he and I agreed...we agreed, that we're only friends, he can date whomever he wants."

"Katie−" Carlos began, again.

"I'm fine, Carlos, really. I just need to take a walk, that's all. Now, go back and reheat that marshmallow, or get a new one, that one's melting off the stick," Katie chuckled, referring to the white goo, dripping off the stick that Carlos had brought with him.

Carlos hesitantly asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now, go!" Katie giggled.

Carlos finally relented, "Fine, but you have to tell me if anything's wrong."

"I will," Katie promised, pushing Carlos back to the fire pit. Carlos stumbled a few steps before walking back to the gang, looking over his shoulder every few steps. Katie waved, before turning back to the direction of the water's edge. She sighed, hoping that the heavy feeling inside her stomach was from all the food she ate.

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><p>AN: Well, I certainly hope that satisfied your appetites. I know I'm taking a while to get to some serious Jatie action, but I want this story to play out like an actual chick-lit, so character development comes before the romance, but we're getting there!

Also, I only created Shayla's character because I was thinking of the probability of the guys being only children, and James' father did re-marry...but in all honesty, this may be the only time I bring her up.

Please leave a review, it would be the greatest birthday present ever, we're getting so close to triple digits! (Last day that I can officially say that I'm in my early 20's-yeesh!)

Thanks again for reading!

Love,

D


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Hey All!

Thank you so much for all the nice reviews! We're almost at a 100! :D A really big thanks to those who take the time to leave a comment every chapter, it really means so much to me!

[Ninjabrownie]: I'm so glad you loved that part, it was one of my favourite scenes to write! And thank you for liking my depiction of Cam, I like her too! ;)

[marykateluvsu]: Thanks, I really tried to amp up the 'funny' in that chapter. lol.

[Getlostinthesound]: Thanks for wishing me a happy birthday, how sweet of you! And, that was my intention with Bev's character, because let's face it, not every one of James' girlfriends is going to be a psycho! lol

Disclaimer: BTR does not belong to me...but, because of amazing friends, I do own tickets to go see them in the BetterwithU Tour! :D

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><p>Katie woke up the next morning, feeling unusually warm and comfy. She groggily opened her eyes, adjusting to the light streaming in through the cracks of the blinds. She felt a heavy weight draped across her stomach, and something hard pushing against her lower back, causing her to frown immediately. She turned around and let out a tiny scream, rousing the topless man beside her out of his slumber. She quickly grabbed at the comforter, pulling it closer to her body.<p>

The man yawned and stretched, "Morning, Sunshine."

"James!" Katie hissed, "What are you doing in here? And what is with..._that_?" She gestured furiously to the tent in his sweatpants.

James looked affronted, "You mean, you don't remember? Katie, I'm hurt."

Katie drew in her breath, she knew that they all had a few beers last night, but she didn't think that she drank _that_ much to forget that she had slept with James Diamond. She opened and shut her mouth, unable to say anything.

James let out a hearty laugh, "I told you I would get you back, and don't worry, this is just morning wood." He laughed again, getting up and walked over to the chair in the corner of the room, picking up his shirt draped over it. Katie sat in silence, still uncomprehending the situation. "Relax, we didn't do anything, I just snuck in here to freak you out. You should have seen the look on your face. Nice slip, by the way," he added, throwing his t-shirt on.

Katie looked down at the provocative satin slip, and blushed. She had let go of the comforter in shock. "No one was supposed to see me in it. Pass my robe." James looked back to the chair and grabbed the matching piece and handed it to her. She yanked it out of his hands, "I can't believe that you would come into my room, in the middle of the night, just to prank me. What if I slept naked?" She hissed.

"You were practically naked, yesterday," James countered. "And this is nowhere near as mean of a joke that you played on me."

Katie tightened the belt to her robe and stood up, "A-wha-how," she stuttered, pointed ferociously to the bed, "this is much more extreme than what I did to you, yesterday."

"Did you not see what you did to 'other James?'" James cried, again, pointing to his crotch, which had subsided considerably.

Katie flushed, refusing to look down. She crossed her arms, "Well then, I guess, we're even."

A knock at the door interrupted them before James could answer, Katie quickly shoved James into the closet. She brushed back her hair, and went to crack open the door. "Oh, hey, big brother," she squeaked. Kendall raised an eyebrow, she cleared her throat and spoke normally, "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I'm making breakfast, did you want pancakes or cereal?" Kendall questioned, still giving Katie a look.

"Pancakes. I'll be out in a minute, just gotta get dressed," Katie said quickly, trying to end this conversation.

"Okay..." Kendall said, walking away, confused.

Katie closed the door and leaned against, letting go of the breath, she didn't know she was holding. She marched over to the closet. Katie opened the door and yanked James out.

"Do you realize what could've just happened? If Kendall saw you in here, he would have a heart attack, kill you, and then die!" Katie exaggerated.

"Okay, I don't think _that_ would have happened, but I do see your point. I'll just sneak out your window, and pretend that I went for a jog," James smiled happily.

Katie crossed her arms again, "Jogging? In your bare feet?"

James looked down, "Crap."

Katie bit her lip, thinking of what to do. "Okay, I need to change, so close your eyes and turn around."

James smirked, "Why? It's not like it wouldn't be any different from yesterday."

Katie shoved him, "Shut up and turn."

James chuckled, but did what she asked. Katie quickly dressed for the day in a green summer dress, she gave James permission to turn around when she was done.

"You look cute," James said, honestly.

She hated the fact that she was flustered because he simply complimented her, she had to remind herself, again, that she didn't want anything more than a friendship with him. Katie thought that these reminders were happening a little too frequently for her liking. Her reaction to the news that James had invited Beverly to join them on their mini-vacation had already set off the alarms that she was starting to become too attached to the man in front of her; she shrugged off her internal dilemma, choosing to focus on the current situation, all the while knowing that she would have to face her feelings eventually. Thankfully, when she returned to the fire pit last night, the conversation had moved on from James' dating life, therefore allowing her to ignore the problem a little while longer.

Katie didn't know whether to thank him or tell him to shut up again. She opted for neither. She cracked open her door again, "Okay, stay here, I'll go distract Kendall in the kitchen, and when I give the signal, run to the stairs, and pretend that you just came down."

"Okay, what's the signal?"

"Uh, I'll start coughing," Katie randomly thought.

"Really? That's not really creative," James said, skeptically.

"Just do it," Katie groaned, exasperated.

"Fine," he grumbled.

Katie walked out of her bedroom and promptly went to task of distracting her brother.

"Hey, big bro, whatcha doin'?" Katie drawled out, perkily.

Kendall gave her another questioning look, "Making breakfast, like I said." He put down the pan and spatula, and asked her, "Are you feeling alright? You're kind of scaring me, you're never _this_ perky in the morning...most of the time, you're so cranky that you yell at Carlos to tone down the happy in the mornings."

Katie would have retorted something witty, but the fact that Kendall had his back to the staircase and the hallway was working to her advantage. "Yeah, I don't know, maybe I'm coming down with something, can you feel my forehead?" When Kendall nodded and promptly reached across to check her temperature, Katie let out a loud cough, causing her brother to frown.

"Hmm, maybe we should get you to the doctor or something, let me call−" Kendall started, turning around to grab the house phone mounted on the wall by the stairs.

"No!" Katie shouted, causing her brother to look at her in alarm. "It's probably nothing," Katie said, spotting James tip-toeing towards the stairs. "Maybe I'm just not used to beach weather...or morning allergies?"

Kendall's eyebrows furrowed together, "You _live_ in California, how can you not be used to this weather? And, you don't have any allergies, what's going on?"

James had reached the bottom of the staircase, without Kendall's notice, Katie thought it was the appropriate time to change the subject, she was running out of ideas of how to prolong this fake illness. "James, hey, didn't hear you come down."

James' eyes grew large, but seeing Katie's silent _help-me_ glare, he dramatically stretched his arms above his head. "Morning guys, mmm, something smells delicious," he sniffed the air and frowned, "actually, something smells like it's burning."

Kendall who had turned around to look at James, let out a yelp and immediately turned his attention to the stove. "Dammit, I forgot about the pancake," he muttered to himself as he scrapped off the remnants of the charred batter on the pan.

Three sets of footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Logan appeared first, yawning, "What's going on?"

James, Katie and Kendall watched as Camille stumbled into the kitchen, grunting, blearily looking around for the coffee machine. She had yet to greet the patrons in the room. Logan, albeit sluggishly, went over to help her get her caffeine fix.

Carlos, meanwhile, had bounded down the stairs, and immediately scrunched up his nose, "What is that _smell_?"

Katie smirked and pointed to the pan, "That, would be breakfast."

"Don't," Kendall pointed his finger at Carlos, when he opened his mouth to say something else, "say anything." He turned to his sister, "This is your fault, you know, if you weren't sick, which you don't appear to be anymore, this wouldn't have happened."

Katie grinned sheepishly at her brother, "I told you, morning allergies." Before Kendall could make any further inquiries about her health, she added, "Hey, after breakfast, wanna walk down the boardwalk?" She batted her eyes at her brother, causing him to grin at her obvious attempt to charm him.

"Sounds like a plan, baby sister."

After swallowing a gulp of her coffee, Camille finally piped up, "What are the rest of us going to do?"

"I want to go jet skiing, I haven't done that in years!" Carlos chimed in.

"That sounds awesome, I think I'll join you, before Beverly gets here," James added.

"Aw, isn't that nice, James, waiting on his precious _girlfriend_," Camille cooed sarcastically, giving James a hostile look behind her coffee mug, causing everyone in the room to stare at her in shock.

Katie refrained from slapping herself in the forehead, she knew that Camille was only acting this way out of spite, knowing that her friend thought that James was being a complete imbecile, for dating someone who wasn't her. Katie also ignored the bubbling feeling of jealousy that seemed to be rising within her.

She let out an awkward laugh, "Oh Cam, you say the darnedest things when you don't have coffee in your system," she gave Camille a pointed glare, who luckily, got the hint.

"Okay, well," James started, giving Camille a questioning look, "I'm going to head upstairs to change then." He made his way up the stairs, but not without throwing Camille another look.

Katie sighed, and walked to the cabinet to grab a plate for breakfast. Logan sidled up to her, handing her a binder that seemed to appear out of nowhere, "Here's the track-sheet, you have to make sure that you get at least this much dairy and fruits for breakfast," he said, pointing at a nutrition guide he had created for her. "And make sure that when you're out, you don't get tempted to eat a hotdog, that's not going to do you any good," Logan added, knowing that Katie had a weakness for the meat stands strewn across the boardwalk.

Katie rolled her eyes, "Yes, _dad_," but quickly patted his cheek and said warmly, as she poured herself a glass of milk, "Thanks, Logan, I'll stick to this chart like no tomorrow."

"Good," Logan said firmly, before too, heading upstairs to change, Camille in tow.

Katie shouted after them, "Hey, if you guys are going to spend the day together, make sure that you don't have the pap on your tail. You're not in the clear yet, Cam."

Camille peeked around the wall, "Ugh, you just had to remind me, didn't you?"

"Hey, it's what you hired me for," Katie replied cheerfully, sipping on her glass of milk and watching Kendall whistle away as he piled pancakes onto her plate.

* * *

><p>Kendall and Katie had walked down the boardwalk, people-watching, something that they had always done together. They pointed out the tourists, the down-and-out entertainers, the buskers, and the Californians, who like them, were just escaping worries. They had to take pause along the way when a few fans recognized Kendall and asked him for some autographs and photos, and like in his heyday, he didn't refuse. Katie watched on the sidelines, watching the fans walk away, gleeful.<p>

"Do you miss it?" Katie asked her brother, as he gave a final wave to the fans.

"Miss what?"

"You know, Big Time Rush, the fans, the fame?"

Kendall pulled her to his side, as they continued walking, "You know it was never about the fame. But I do miss the fans, and the band. Heck, I even miss Gustavo blowing a casket every time I talked back."

"Do you ever wish you could go back?" Katie continued to ask, sincerely curious about his answer.

Kendall walked in silence for a couple of minutes, "No, I don't think so. I think where we ended was good, it was definitely time to move on to other things. And look, we're all doing great now; I don't think any of us regret breaking up the band when we did.

Katie nodded in understanding, squeezing her brother in affection, before letting go so they could walk side-by-side. They continued walking until they made their way to the pier-front, where they sat on the stones that separated the boardwalk from the beach.

"I have to tell you something," Katie said, staring out at the ocean, breaking the comfortable silence between the siblings. Kendall waited for his sister to continue.

"A few weeks ago−"

"You were in the hospital, suffering from malnutrition," Kendall interrupted.

Katie turned her head sharply, "How'd you know?"

Kendall smirked, "Logan can't keep a secret if his life depended on it," his smirk dropped into a sad smile, "I admit, I was angry when he told me. I couldn't believe that you had let yourself go, _and_ that you didn't tell me, immediately."

Katie swung her feet back and forth, looking down in guilt, "You're handling this a lot better than I thought you would."

"Yeah, well, Logan also told me why you kept this from me. Katie, I only came out here because I miss you, not because I wanted a vacation...granted the sun and sand is nice," Kendall attempted a smile.

Katie nudged Kendall with her shoulder, smiling, "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to worry."

"I'm your big brother, it's my job to worry about you. But if you ever pull a stunt like this again, Katie, you'll be packing your bags and moving back to Minnesota with me," Kendall warned.

"I don't think you really need to worry about that anymore, I mean, Logan's moving back out here, I can almost guarantee you that he will show up at my place every day, just to make sure I'm eating right."

"I'm counting on it," Kendall said, half seriously. The siblings looked at each other before breaking out into chuckles.

"Hey, I almost forgot to mention, there's a new arcade that opened on the pier. Wanna check it out?" Katie hopped off the stones, excitedly.

Kendall shook his head. "Tell me again, how you're a grown woman?" He asked, standing up.

Katie giggled, pulling her brother along, "You only have yourself to blame, I wouldn't be like this if you played dolls and hosted tea parties when I was younger. Instead, you read me comic books and shoved video games into my hands."

"Well, I had to, mom had you going to those ballet classes and wearing those hideous fluffy pink dresses," both siblings shuddered at the memory. "I had to make you less 'girly-girl' somehow."

"If I recall, you convinced mom to let me drop ballet lessons in favour of kickboxing," Katie smirked, trying to point out that Kendall did more than lend a helping hand to her tomboyish upbringing.

"Which you enjoy," Kendall replied.

Katie's phone buzzed in her pocket, distracting her from the conversation. She checked the text message that Camille had just sent her, "Oh, hey, Gustavo and Kelly will be joining us for dinner tonight."

"Really? Why?" Kendall asked, puzzled.

Katie shrugged, "Come on, I want to try that new cops and robbers game. I hope you have money, 'cause I didn't bring my purse."

Kendall grumbled, "Are you taking advantage of the fact that I can't say no to you?"

Katie smiled sweetly up at her brother, "Maybe."

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter and the next chapter were actually supposed to be one chapter, but because there was too much happening, I had to break it up. So, if you think that this chapter kind of ends abruptly, that's why. Sorry!

I know, again, there isn't that much Jatie, but we are getting _super _close to the big moment. ;)

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you think of the story/chapter!

-D

P.S. I know I've shameless plugged my one-shot, _Waiting for a Miracle_ before, but for those of you who really need a Jatie dosage in my stories, there is definitely some in there for you!


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Hi All! So I tried to upload this a couple of days ago, but fanfiction wouldn't let me log in, boo! But now, here is last chapter's part II, so to speak! And just in time for the launch of the BetterWithU Tour!

Again, thank you all for leaving reviews and putting this story on your favourite and alert lists, it really means a lot!

[Newbie]: Six hours? Wow, thank you for the dedication to this story!

Disclaimer: Still don't own the band or the show.

* * *

><p>Katie and Kendall spent the morning at the arcade before having lunch at one of the local restaurants. Kendall had forced Katie to eat a chicken salad, making her grumble through their whole meal, as she eyed his burger and fries. They also caught a glimpse of Sandy, the girl who forced herself on Kendall during their first trip to Malibu. Now toting along two children, she seemed maniacal in much different matter. Katie had a good laugh as her brother convinced himself that it was best that he walk around in a brown wig for the afternoon so that Sandy wouldn't have to chance to recognize him. Katie gave into Kendall's demands to spend some time on the beach, during which Camille also sent them a text to remind them that the restaurant required formalwear, something that both Knights dreaded. Katie had tried to dispel his interest to hang out on the beach by reminding him of his wig, but Kendall was insistent on soaking up all that he can while in Malibu.<p>

They came back to the mansion late in the afternoon, only to find Cam running around hysterically, looking for her shoes, with her hair still in curlers. Katie sighed, and went to calm down her friend by seating her on a kitchen stool.

"Where have you guys been, do you know how long it's going to take us to get ready? Kendall, did you bring your tux?" Kendall enlarged his eyes, giving his sister a desperate look.

"A suit will do. Cam, you need to calm down. Where's Logan?" Katie asked, reaching up and pulling the curlers out of Camille's hair. Kendall used the opportunity to hightail out of the kitchen and head upstairs.

"Carlos' tie didn't match his shirt, so I sent them to go buy another one," Cam replied, now trying to apply mascara, while avoiding Katie's arms.

"You're going to need a mirror for that," Katie said, shaking her head at her friend's attempt to beautify herself without poking her eye out. Camille stopped her brushing and looked up at Katie, causing Katie to raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"I met Beverly, earlier."

Katie bit her tongue and interested herself with Camille's hair again. "Oh."

"Yeah," Cam paused, "she looks a lot like you."

"What?"

Camille scoffed, "Oh please, don't tell me you didn't notice, she's willowy, has brown hair−"

"Wait, where are James and Beverly, now?" Katie asked abruptly.

"Upstairs-yow!" Camille yelped, as Katie dug her nails into her arm and dragged her into Katie's room. Katie slammed the door shut as soon as they entered. "Was that really necessary?" Cam groaned, rubbing her arm.

"Yes! How could you start that conversation in the kitchen? They could have walked in at any time," Katie started pacing back and forth, causing Camille to worry. She had hardly ever seen the brunette agonize to this extent.

"Katie...why are you so worked up?"

Katie looked at her friend, who was currently sitting on her bed. "I am not worked up. I don't _get_ worked up, especially over a boy."

Camille remained silent, then proceeded to pull Katie to sit next to her. "You really like him, huh?"

Katie flopped back onto the bed, splaying her arms, "I didn't want this to happen." She crossed an arm over her face, "It's James! How could I possibly fall this hard for James! He's the antithesis of everything I want in a man. And I tried to get over him, by reminding myself that we're better off as friends, that I _shouldn't_ want him, but then, the jerk, he constantly does these amazingly sweet or funny things that just makes me melt. He's making it really hard to get over him!" Katie yelled, sitting up.

Camille smirked, "Maybe, it's a sign that you shouldn't give up on him."

"Cam, he has a girlfriend."

"Exactly, a girlfriend, it's not like he's married to her," she got up and seated herself at the vanity. "Besides, he's only dating her because she looks like you, only with blue eyes, and don't tell me that's not true, even Logan agrees with me."

Katie looked up, alarmed, "What? Logan knows about my...feelings?" She remembered what her brother had said earlier about Logan being unable to keep secrets.

Camille scoffed, while applying another layer of mascara to her lashes, "No. He's not that perceptive. I meant, even he saw the uncanny similarity between you and Beverly."

Katie frowned, "Well, he was the only other person who saw signs of a relationship between Gustavo and Kelly. The other guys had absolutely no idea."

Camille turned around to look at Katie, "Trust me, he doesn't know. Now," she stood up, "what are you wearing tonight?" She began to rifle through Katie's outfits in the closet. Her eyes sparkled when she spotted the one she wanted Katie to wear. "This is perfect!"

Katie groaned and flopped back down, again.

* * *

><p>Katie cautiously made her way down the hallway that led to the open area of the mansion where the living room met the kitchen. She spotted the guys all gussied up in their suits, chatting amongst themselves. Camille had changed into a black, sparkly, body-hugging dress that ended at her feet, the long slit up the side of her leg gave the dress an edgier appeal. She smirked when she caught sight of Katie's entrance. Carlos was the next person to see her enter the room and promptly gasped.<p>

"Wow, Katie, you look beautiful."

Katie watched as James turned around to look at her, she inhaled sharply when she met his hazel eyes. Katie took a step forward, careful not to trip over the hem of her ivory gown that swished slightly with every step she took. The gown was a favourite piece from a photo shoot that she had done with Tony and Daniella. Knowing how much Katie adored the boatneck, backless dress, they immediately called her when the piece was miraculously up for sale. It was one of the only splurges that Katie had made in terms of her wardrobe.

Kendall came over and gave his sister a loving kiss on her temple, "You look lovely, baby sister."

Logan smiled at her, adoringly, with Camille hanging onto his arm, refraining from launching herself at Katie.

She once again caught James' eye and waited for his verdict. He stood before her, and was about to say something when Beverly appeared by his side.

"Katie, you look stunning. I feel so underdressed, compared to you," the veterinarian said, gesturing to her simple, yet elegant, gown of navy blue.

Katie smiled politely at the newcomer, "You look gorgeous, Bev."

"Thank you."

Carlos cleared his throat and gestured to the door, "Shall we get going?"

Katie giggled and clamped onto his arm, pulling her brother along so that they formed a three-person chain, heading out the door.

* * *

><p>The gang met up with Gustavo and Kelly who were dressed to the tens, at the restaurant. The record producer greeted his old band with some affection, after persuasion from his wife, who had also apparently badgered Gustavo to take her to dinner without the kids. Carlos made sure to sit beside Kelly at the table, to have the opportunity to catch up over the years; Katie knew that he missed Kelly incredibly.<p>

As they waited for the appetizers to arrive, Katie observed the various conversations around the table, Gustavo was in a heated debate with Kendall over the type of music they played during hockey games. Gustavo was convinced that playing pop music was a surefire way to increase audience numbers, while Kendall was trying to explain to him that people came to watch the game, and not to listen to what was playing over the stereo. Katie only smirked, knowing that both men missed riling each other up.

Carlos, meanwhile, was telling Kelly about his escapades in Egypt. Katie listened as he animatedly told his story that seemed to come right out of an Indiana Drones screenplay. Kelly listened with wide eyes, skeptical of the truth, remembering that Carlos had the tendency to create mountains out of molehills. Katie watched as Kelly quickly sent a text message, through Carlos' story, presumably to the nanny, to check up on the children. Carlos was too engrossed in his storytelling to even notice.

Katie turned her ear to catch bits of the conversation between Logan, Camille and Beverly. Logan was bringing up factors that doctors had to deal with in cases of deaths on the operating table, Beverly countered with the fact that vets didn't have it easy, as some of her patients' owners were extremely attached to their pets and physically attacked the doctors if something went wrong in the operating room. Camille who was sitting next to Katie, had little input over the morbid discussion, and quietly sipped her wine, waiting for her moment to change the topic. She let the two doctors continue their discussion, and turned to whisper to Katie.

"You know, James hasn't been able to keep his eyes off you, all night."

Katie was glad that the lighting in the restaurant was dim, so that Camille couldn't see the faint colouring that came to her cheeks. Katie had noticed that the tall man kept flickering his eyes to her, but she assumed that he too, was listening to the various conversations taking place.

"Cam, don't. I told you, he has a girlfriend, who just happens to be talking with your boyfriend, two seats away from you," Katie admonished.

"These two are so wrapped up in their discussion, they wouldn't notice if there was an earthquake," she leaned in closely. "I told you, you would knock James off his feet with this dress. I must admit, even I'm envious of you."

"Cam, you have to stop," Katie couldn't help but add, "and take it easy on the wine. You have to go to set tomorrow."

Camille pouted, "Party pooper."

Katie managed to stray Camille's attention from her love life for the rest of the dinner. The smaller conversations eventually turned into one large reminiscent discussion over the whole table. Everyone laughed, thinking back to the various troubles the band would get into, back in the day.

"As if you were any better, Katie," Carlos piped up, when Katie shook her head, laughing, "don't you remember that time that you boycotted Griffin's foam cup production? You affected the whole economy with that one."

"Excuse me, I was bettering the Earth, by being environmentally conscience," Katie countered, "if some people lost millions that day, it was for the good of mankind."

Gustavo smirked, "It may have started out as a mission to make the company greener, but, admit, you just wanted to bring Griffin to his knees," he flicked a finger towards Katie. "You're the only one at this table who rivals me in my deviousness." Kendall and his friends immediately bristled.

"Hey, our plans were awesome," Kendall remarked.

Logan made a face, "Yeah, you have to admit, Kendall, something always went wrong with our plans. Our plans usually succeed only with the help of your sister or Gustavo."

Carlos and James immediately came to Kendall's defence, "They were still awesome." Their offended exclamatory caused the table to burst into laughter.

Camille interrupted the joy, by placing a hand on Logan's arm, "Oh, look, people are dancing. Let's go," she quickly dragged him to the dance floor, before he could even make a comment. Kelly, again had to nudge Gustavo into asking her to dance, which he did so grudgingly.

Katie watched as Beverly looked expectantly at James, waiting for him to ask her to dance. However, Carlos stood up and held out his hand to the veterinarian, shocking all occupants at the table. "Would you like to dance, milady?"

Beverly giggled, amused by Carlos' chivalry. She looked at James, who gave a slight nod of approval. Carlos grinned at his dance companion, but quickly gave Katie an unexpected wink, unseen by James and Kendall, causing her to flush.

"Well, baby sister, would it be too embarrassing for you to dance with your older brother?"

James cleared his throat, "Actually, Kendall, that would be pretty embarrassing," he leaned in and focused on Katie, "Katie, would you like to dance?"

Katie's pulse sped up, she shot her brother an apologetic glance, "Sorry, big bro, I think I'm going to have to go with James on this one," she smirked as she saw movement behind her brother, "but, I don't think you'd mind too much. Remember to avoid stepping on your partner's toes," she advised her brother, standing up. Kendall furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but was distracted by the presence of a blond woman who had tapped him on the shoulder.

James held out his hand, and led Katie to the dance floor. The band had started up a bluesy tune. Katie willed her heartbeat to slow down when James placed one of her small hands into his much larger one and placed a hand on her waist. The two danced in silence, looking at the other dancing couples.

James cleared his throat again, "I didn't get to tell you, earlier, but you look breathtaking, tonight, Katherine."

Katie looked up at him through her lashes, "Thank you," she whispered. A couple of beats passed before Katie realized what James had called her. "You remembered my name."

James smiled sheepishly, "Actually, I had to ask Kendall."

Katie returned his smile, "So, what? Are you just going to call me that now, because you know it?"

"Well, you haven't shut it down like all the other names I've tried to call you, so maybe," James grinned, twirling her around.

Katie giggled, "You come up with awful nicknames, but since you're so insistent on having one for me, I think this one will do, and frankly, no one ever uses it, so really, it'll be your own."

James pulled Katie in a little closer, still swaying to the beat. "Ah, success at last."

Katie laughed, but quieted when she spot Beverly dancing with Carlos on the far side of the dance floor. "Your girlfriend looks beautiful; the colour of the dress really brings out her eyes."

Katie felt James' hand clench slightly, but didn't elaborate on Katie's thought, instead he steered the conversation back to Katie, "I remember this dress, it was from one of the photo shoots that you did."

"I'm surprised you remember," Katie said honestly.

James took a breath before answering, "It was my favourite."

Katie mulled over his answer for a little while, unaware that the song had changed and that they had danced their way into a corner of the dance floor. "Why did you keep the photo album?" Katie whispered, unknowingly leaning in towards him.

James inhaled sharply, when he realized how close their faces were. His hazel eyes bore into her chocolate ones. He stroked a hand down Katie's cheek. "You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?" He leaned in even further, brushing their lips together.

Katie closed her eyes, and breathed out, "James, we shouldn't−"

"Just once, Katherine. Just let me kiss you once..." James trailed off as he finally kissed her. Both immediately reached their arms around each other, trying to close the gap between them. The sexual tension that had been mounting in between them was released in this one kiss. And like two pieces of a puzzle, their lips danced in perfect harmony.

After a moment of pure bliss, Katie broke off the kiss, suddenly, and backed away, her feelings in turmoil. She placed a hand over her kissed-swollen lips, her eyes wide with shock, "I have to go," she whispered, before walking hurriedly back to the table to grab her clutch, passing a still dancing Camille and Logan, leaving James standing speechless in her wake.

Cam raced after Katie, "Katie, what's wrong?"

Katie looked back at her friend, "I'm sorry, I just...I have to go. Tell everyone I'm sorry." She didn't wait for her friend to reply, and quickly left the restaurant.

As Katie sat in the cab, heading back to mansion, she gasped, realizing that for the first time in her life, she was shedding tears for a man.

* * *

><p>AN: Don't hate me for making Katie run, she has her reasons! lol

Well, I certainly hope that the kiss (finally!) warrants a review!

Love,

D

P.S. I think I have Jatie on the brain! I read a little too much into the _All Over Again_ music video scene where they panned to Katie right after showing James, and we got the love interest hints, right? (I'm choosing to ignore the randoms that hold up the 'Hi, James!' signs) Tell me, it's not just me pretending that the producers at Nickelodeon are appeasing Jatie fans. lol


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay! I've just had surgery, and am currently in the process of recovery. But, I'm (hopefully) going to use this opportunity to write as much as I can for _Hollywood Management_. I've actually taken some time to consider how I want to finish this story off, and I think I've come up with a satisfying ending, don't want to give too much away quite yet, but I'm hoping you readers will like what I have decided. :)

Also, I can't thank each and every one of you enough, for leaving a review, and/or having this story on alert and favourites! We've surpassed the 100 review mark! Wow...just, thank you!

There is one offensive word in this chapter, I apologize in advance for offending anybody.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Big Time Rush, nor do I have any official association with the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes

* * *

><p>Katie returned to the mansion and quickly packed her things. She scribbled out a note, explaining to the other house guests that she had a work emergency to resolve. She hoped that her lie was reasonably believable, but left for Los Angeles anyway.<p>

The drive home was hard, everything reminded her about James. She slammed her palm down onto the steering wheel, frustrated with herself, and with him; Katie refused to be the mistress, she strongly believed in fidelity. She couldn't believe that she had let her emotions get the better of her, allowing, even seducing, James to kiss her tonight.

"What is wrong with me?" Katie mused, thinking how her morals seemed to have twisted completely when she thought about her actions this weekend. Even though she knew that James was at fault for stringing both her and Beverly along, she wasn't exactly an innocent bystander. If she was being honest with herself, her new swimsuit was bought specifically to enhance her sexual appeal and how she used it...she had never flirted with a man so blatantly, to the point where it left him blue-balled. Katie wondered when she had become such a seductress, and so dramatic. She remembered vowing to herself that wasn't go to be the type of woman to play devious games, undermining and manipulating people just to be with a man, and now, she was becoming the epitome of what she hated. Katie bit her lip, she couldn't go on with James like this, they had to finalize what they were and stick to it. She stepped on the gas pedal and raced home.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, Katie roused from her restless sleep by a pounding on her bedroom door.<p>

"Katie! Katie, open up!"

"What the..." Katie got up and opened the door to a very irate brother. Kendall grabbed her arm and pulled her out to the brightly lit living room, causing Katie to squint.

"Kendall, what the heck?"

"You tell me! All of a sudden, you run away from the restaurant, and leave behind some measly note at the mansion and drive off in the middle of the night. What the fuck were you thinking?" Kendall bellowed, stomping back and forth in front of her.

Katie grimaced; Kendall only swore under extreme circumstances and never at her; she knew that he was really upset with her.

"Kendall−"

"Don't 'Kendall,' me. I haven't finished. This whole week, you've been acting so unlike you. First, you stop eating, then you keep secrets from me, and now this? What is going on with you? It's like I don't even know you anymore." Kendall finally slumped down onto the couch, exhausted.

Katie tentatively took a seat next to him. For what seemed to be the millionth time this week, Katie had no idea what to do, her brother had never been this angry with her, ever.

She sighed, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Kendall."

Kendall scoffed, "Sorry? Do you realize what a wreck I've been this whole week? At first, you were okay, almost normal, but as the week progressed, you started...I don't know..._distancing_ yourself from me. I waited for you to tell me what was on your mind, but you never did. When did you stop trusting me with everything?"

Katie grabbed onto her brother when she saw his look of despair, "Kendall, it's not that I don't trust you, _never_ that, you have to believe me. There's just so many things happening, half of which, I'm not even sure what's going on, and quite honestly, I don't know how you'd take it."

"Try me," Kendall said, testily.

Katie sighed, and leaned back on the couch. At this point, she had to start talking to her brother, "Fulton wants to buy me out."

"So? He's been trying to do that for months."

Katie shook her head, "But now, he's got something." Katie sighed again, "The reason that James left FMA was because he slept with his ex-manager's wife. Fulton used that as an excuse for James to come and ask for my help, and he kept mum on the story. And now that James is my client, he's threatening to leak the story to the press, pretty much destroying James' career."

"And if you agree to sell your company, he doesn't say a word," Kendall deduced. Katie nodded. "So what? A lot of celebrities have personal issues that eventual reach the public, and they get over it."

Katie shook her head, "But, none of their stories happen right before award season, and James has the potential to be up for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. If he doesn't get any nominations for this role, well, you get the picture. It was already hard for him to begin with, coming from a boy band, then a solo singing career to this, not very many people were willing to take him seriously as an actor."

"Either way, Fulton wins," Kendall sighed for his sister, apparently getting over his anger. "Can't someone help you stop him? Gustavo, maybe? Or Griffin?"

Katie stood up, and walked to the kitchen for a glass of water, "Trust me, I've thought about it, but, it's my business, Kendall. I don't want to rely on other people to get me out of complicated situations."

"I get it, but−"

"No, I want to do this on my own," Katie stated, firmly.

Kendall stood up and went over to the kitchen bar, "So, that's it? That's what's been bothering you all week?"

Katie took a sip from her glass, set it down and stared at it, before looking up at her brother. She didn't know how to tell him about her confusing situation with James, and if she did figure out what to say, she didn't want to deal with how Kendall would react, because if she knew her brother, he wasn't going to take it well. Kendall waited patiently for his sister to speak.

"You have to promise not to freak out," Katie finally spoke up. Kendall quirked an eyebrow, but nodded slowly. "James and I...kissed."

Kendall jumped out of his seat, "What?" He yelled, then started for the door, all the while, mumbling, "I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill him!"

Katie chased after him, blocking his way to the door. "Kendall! Stop!" She grabbed onto his arms, "Kendall, you promised you wouldn't freak out."

"That was before I knew that my supposed 'friend' put his lips all over my baby sister!" He screeched, eyes blazing.

"It was a mutual kiss!" Katie screamed, trying to calm him down, not realizing that she wasn't helping the situation. "Would you please, just sit, so I can explain?" Katie said, trying to turn him around.

Kendall furiously shook out of her grasp, but made his way to a kitchen stool. Katie sighed and went to sit next to him. She did not want to deal with this at five in the morning, but knew that she had no choice but to start telling her brother everything.

"I thought you told me that you didn't like James." Kendall growled.

Katie nodded slowly, "Right, when I told you that, it was true, but as the week went on, it became less so."

"Are you in love with him?"

Katie answered him honestly, "I don't think so." Kendall gave her a look of disbelief, causing Katie to explain herself, "Kendall, it's been a week, there is no way that I can possibly fall in love that quickly."

Kendall continued glaring at his sister, "I thought he was dating that vet?"

"He is," Katie answered.

"So what? Are you one of his notches, now?" Kendall spat.

Katie angrily pushed herself away from the bar, unable to believe that her beloved brother just said that to her.

"What am I supposed to think, Katie? James is a womanizer, he sleeps around. A lot," Kendall shouted, standing up.

Katie stomped back and stood right up to her brother, "You think I don't know that? It's not like I woke up one morning and decided, 'hey, today is a good day to start liking James Diamond. He's a man-whore, but who cares!' I have more integrity than to fall into bed with James, immediately. I didn't even want a relationship with him, I've thought of every possible negative outcome that could come of it, which is why I've been trying to suppress my feelings, all week! And now that he has a girlfriend? That's just gravy!" Katie fumed. She poked her finger at Kendall's chest, "Do you think I want to be the third person in a relationship? I never...I never..." Katie's eyes welled-up, "How could you think that I want to be that person, that I _am_ that person." Katie turned away, not wanting her brother to see her cry.

Kendall slumped his shoulders and gently turned Katie into his arms, "Katie, don't cry," he whispered, rubbing her back, "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said that you slept with James."

Katie mumbled incoherently into his shirt. "What?"

Katie stepped back, sniffling, "I said, no, you shouldn't have. You should have more faith in me."

Kendall sighed, scratching the back of his head, "It's not that I don't have faith in you, Katie. But you have to realize how upsetting it is for me to hear that my sister lo−likes, one of my friends. And dammit, Katie, it's _James_. He doesn't do commitments, or relationships, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know, Kendall," Katie replied quietly, making her way back to the couch. She placed her head in her arms. "I've been fighting my feelings, all week, thinking about the kind of person he is, but when we kissed," Katie ignored her brother's snort of disgust, "it just felt," she smiled sadly before whispering, "perfect."

"So, what now?" Kendall asked, taking a seat next to her. "Are you guys...going to _date_?"

"No," Katie said suddenly, "no, we have to maintain a professional relationship."

"But, you just said that−"

"I know what I said, Kendall," Katie interrupted. "But, I just realized that being with James is poisonous. I turned into someone I never wanted to be, just to get his attention, and you're right, he doesn't commit, I mean, he kissed me when he was with Beverly. Besides, your reaction proves me right, if James and I got together, we would be ruining so many relationships." Katie stood up, unaware of her brother's frown at her comment. "We can never be together," she stated finally. "Now, what I need to focus on, is my business, it's the only thing I have going for me." She looked down at her brother, "And, I'm sorry for running out on you, tonight. I had to get out."

Kendall nodded, slowly, still frowning. Katie gave him a small smile and retired to her room, knowing that she left their conversation unfinished. She plucked her phone off the nightstand and quickly sent a text to James, uncaring if she woke him up.

_We need to talk. Meet me at my office, tomorrow morning. -K_

* * *

><p>Katie tiredly got up the next morning, to head to her office. She remembered to scratch down what she had for breakfast, so that Logan would be updated. She slipped into her favourite pant suit and tied up her hair. She rolled her eyes at her reflection; she was not looking forward to meeting up with James, not only did she have to tell him about Fulton's plan, but she also had to confront him about the status of their relationship.<p>

She attempted a smile, still looking at her reflection, "Okay, Katie, you can do this, nothing to it." She groaned, dropping her smile, not convincing herself in the slightest.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Kate, how was your weekend?" Mags asked, as soon as Katie stepped into the office suite.<p>

Katie groaned, "You really don't want to know."

"Oh, I do, but I get the feeling that it's a long story, which you can tell me over lunch. Also, you're interviewing Jack Schooler at eleven," Mags reminded Katie from her desk.

"Oh, right. Hey, I told James to drop by today, so...expect him," Katie ended awkwardly, circling one of her fingers in the general area of the lobby.

Magdalene chuckled, "Sure, do you want a coffee?"

"Yes, please!" Katie answered, as she stepped back into her office.

Katie made a call to Camille's publicist to check up on any paparazzi action. Luckily, they had not caught wind of her new relationship with Logan, and Caleb was starting to appear more and more in the tabloids, with his co-star along side.

When she was reviewing Jack's CV, she mulled over what to do about Fulton. She only had four days to come up with a possible tactic to stop him from destroying her business. She was reading up on Jack's education when the answer came to her. She paged Magdalene immediately.

"Mags, get Fulton on the line ASAP, please."

"Will do."

Katie but her lip, nervous about her plan, while she listened to the phone ring.

"Ms. Knight, good to hear from you, and so soon. I expect that you have to a decision about my offer," Fulton said over the phone.

"Yes, about that Mr. Fulton," Katie replied firmly. "What you're asking me to do, is quite a monumental decision for me, and you've only given me a week's duration to come up with an answer. As a favour to me, would you be willing to extend this period of consideration by a month? I know that for a corporation as large and important as yours, there really shouldn't be any problems to allow a smaller fish, such as myself, time to evaluate everything before making my decision."

"Ms. Knight, you can't possibly think that giving you extra time will alter the outcome," Fulton replied, unabashed.

"Consider it charity, just allow me some time to explain everything to my clients," Katie remarked, quietly seething.

A full minute passed before Fulton answered, "I'll give you to the end of the month, Ms. Knight, and not a day more."

Katie could hear the finality in Fulton's voice. "That's all I need."

Katie hung up the phone and sighed, partially in triumph and partially because she was simply exhausted with all the drama that sprung into her life in the last week. She strummed her fingers across her desk while she thought of everything that recently happened, particularly focusing on James. Weeks ago, the two of them had barely been speaking to each other, apart from what she picked up from tabloid blogs and magazines, and conversations with mutual friends, she couldn't say that he was really a part of her life. But, it was as if the world had come full circle and the co-habitants of apartment 2J were reunited, and she and James were once again something. Katie sighed, hating the fact that she couldn't label exactly what their relationship was; yes, they grew up together, yes, they now worked professionally together, and yes, they did have sexual chemistry. There was no clean definition as to what they were and the inability to label them was causing them the deterioration of relationships with other people. Katie could wager that Kendall was still upset at her and probably more so at his lifelong friend.

She hung her head back against her seat, think of how it wasn't only the friendships that were decaying, but their integrities too; she felt disgusted at what they did to Beverly, while Katie didn't know the woman very well, she could tell that Beverly was a good person, and she didn't deserve to be dragged into the mess of what James and Katie were. What she told Kendall last night, came springing back to mind; James was poisonous, even though she had feelings for him, he wasn't good for her.

"Why can't we label what we are and just get it over with?" Katie muttered to herself. But, she quickly remembered how after the photo shoot for 'Cuda, the pair had decided to be friends. Katie snorted, apparently, both were dissatisfied with that distinction, however, Katie still believed that the discussion that day still rang true; neither of them were ready to be committed to each other.

Magdalene paged through, snapping Katie out of her revere. "Ms. Knight? Mr. Schooler is here for the interview."

Katie shook her head before answering, "Thanks, Mags. Please let him in." Katie pulled out Jack Schooler's CV again, as Mags opened the door for him to come through. Katie gave the well-suited man a quick look-over, as much as people denied it, the fact was, appearances do mean a lot. Jack was tall and blond, with startling blue eyes; nothing at all what Katie imagined, the handsome man before her looked like he belonged on the beach.

He gave Katie a hundred-watt smile as he reached out a hand. "Ms. Knight, thank you for meeting with me."

Katie shook his hand and smiled back. She gestured to the guest seats, "Please sit down, Mr. Schooler." Jack did as he was told, staring at Katie the whole time. Usually, men's blatant gawking unnerved her, but, Jack's stare didn't bother Katie. The expression in his eyes didn't convey the notion that he wanted to undress her, but rather, his piercing gaze seemed to exude the idea that he wanted to know her as a person.

Katie cleared her throat, "Well, Mr. Schooler, I have to say, your résumé was quite impressive. Please though, tell me more about yourself."

"Well, as you know, I studied abroad, I had a deep fascination with literature, not only in text form, but in film adaptations as well."

Katie nodded, "So, how is it that you got involved in talent management?"

Jack chuckled, "Yes, I know, the two fields seem completely disconnected, but, as I studied film adaptations, I realized that some of them were rather disappointing because the casting of the characters was all wrong. I believed that if I can lend a hand to steer actors and actresses to the right films, then the adaptations would be an incredible experience for the audience. Also, as a talent manager, I'm hoping to eventually have the opportunity to produce noteworthy literary adaptations myself."

Katie nodded, agreeing to his conclusion, she had seen some pretty terrible films because the casting was wrong. "While that is great, are you only planning to steer clients to film adaptations? The market_ is_ expanding, but there are plenty of original screenplays out there. I do expect you to be an, equal opportunist, so to speak."

"Oh, of course. No offence to the majority of the movie industry, the story-lines for the films are getting too repetitive, I would love to find something that hasn't been done before."

Katie giggled, "That's very true. But, as a small management company, I can't promise that we'll have dibs on the best scripts."

"On the contrary, Ms. Knight," Jack started to point out, "I think that we would find more original scripts, because writers will feel that they have a better opportunity with us. Take for instance−"

"Independent films," Katie finished off.

"Exactly," Jack proclaimed excitedly. "There are so many brilliant indie films out there that are very under-appreciated, it's quite disappointing actually."

Katie chuckled, "Well, Mr. Schooler−"

"Please, call me Jack."

"Okay, Jack, I do think that we do have a lot in common and I think that your perspective is well-suited for the company, but, I do have to interview more people before I make a decision, you can expect a call by the end of the week." Katie said standing up.

"Great, I'll be looking forward to it," Jack replied, happily. They walked over to the door, where Katie opened it, but, Jack hesitated before leaving. He stared purposefully at Katie, "I know that this is completely inappropriate, but, would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

Katie dropped her jaw slightly, completely taken aback by the question, but before she could answer, they heard someone clear their throat in the lobby. Jack and Katie looked out the office door to see Mags smirking, and James, who was glaring evilly at Jack. His hands clenched around the bouquet of flowers he was holding in front of him. He stomped over the pair, all the while, keeping his eyes on Jack. He slipped an arm possessively around Katie's waist and pulled her close to him.

"James," Katie hissed, through clenched teeth, "what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing, _honey_, just wanted to stop by and take you out for lunch."

Jack took a step back, holding his hands up innocently, "Whoa, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize−"

"Well, now you do," James stated sharply, maintaining his intimidating stature, hand clasped tightly around Katie. Katie huffed, wanting to set the record straight, but Jack replied before she could even speak.

"Ms. Knight, I apologize for overstepping any boundaries."

"No, Jack−" Katie tried to explain, before she was interrupted by James.

"We accept your apology, now if you will please excuse us," James motioned out the door.

"Oh, right, please, again, I'm so sorry," Jack paused, before adding an afterthought. "If I don't get the job, Ms. Knight, I'll completely understand." He turned around and walked out of the office after sheepishly waving goodbye.

Katie caught a glimpse of Mags, who was milking in the entertainment. Katie rolled her eyes, before closing the door to her office. She angrily spun on her heels to glare at James. He cleared his throat before offering her the flowers with a toothy smile.

"Hi, Katie. These are for you."

Katie rolled her eyes and growled, before ignoring the proffered bouquet and walked over to sit on her desk to face him. "What was that?" She asked, dangerously calm.

James pointed the door, "He asked you out, I couldn't just let him take you to dinner."

"You have no right...he could very well be my new business partner."

James sputtered out, "You're going to work with that guy?"

"_Jack_," Katie emphasized, "is a perfectly normal guy, who happens to be exactly what I'm looking for."

"What?" James bellowed.

"I meant, what I'm looking for in a business partner. And even if I did mean it the other way, it really shouldn't matter to you," Katie replied, crossing her legs.

"Katie, we _kissed_."

"Yes, we did. And you're dating Beverly. Don't you even feel guilty?"

"Of course I felt guilty, which is why I broke up with her."

Katie groaned, "Why? Beverly is so nice, she doesn't deserve this. How did she take it?"

"It doesn't matter, because I want to be with you, Katie."

Katie sighed, "James, we talked about this, we're just friends."

James walked up to Katie and placed his hands on the desk, trapping Katie within them. He moved closer, so that Katie was forced to allow him to step in between her legs. She could feel his breath across her face.

"You know that's absolutely not true. All I think about is you, Katie," James whispered, his hazel eyes dilated.

"James...we can't," Katie tried in vain. Her arms wrapped around his neck on their own accord.

James hushed her, before closing the distance between them. Katie enthusiastically responded, opening her mouth to his probing tongue. She shifted herself so that she was perched precariously on the desk. James ran his hands along Katie's sides before grabbing onto her thighs to wrap them around his waist.

Katie moaned as he lifted her up and quickly pushed her against a wall, never once breaking their kiss. He pushed himself closer to her so that every inch of their bodies touched, causing Katie's senses to buzz continuously. She pulled his head closer to hers, mussing his hair in the process. James groaned, shifting his weight around, trying to hide his reaction to her aggression, but Katie felt his growing excitement underneath her. When they pulled apart for some air, Katie opened her eyes, both literally and figuratively; her breathing, heavy. James leaned in again, but Katie turned her head. She untangled her legs from his waist, and squirmed her way out of his arms.

"Katie, what now?" James asked, throwing up his arms in frustration. "Why won't you just give us a chance?"

"Because we can't commit to each other! And, we're destroying relationships."

"We're not hurting anyone, Katie," James snapped.

"You just dumped Bev, and have you even spoken to Kendall, yet? He wanted to kill you when he found out we kissed."

"You told him about the kiss?" James asked, his frustration ebbing away.

"Yes, and he...he...it wasn't pretty," Katie hesitated, "and there's something else I have to tell you." Feeling like she needed to confess everything to James at this moment, Katie told him about the situation with Fulton and his impeding threat.

By the end of her account, James had moved away from the desk, and stared at her pensively from the couch.

"You're going to lose your company because of me?" He asked.

"I'm still thinking of ways to prevent it from happening," Katie replied honestly.

"Let me help you, I mean, it's my fault that you're in this situation anyway," he offered, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

Katie shrugged him off and stepped away, "No, James. I have to figure this out on my own."

Katie's last rejection sent James into a fury. "Why won't you let me in, Katie? Everything you've been saying to me, it just sounds like you don't want to be with me. If that's the case, then just come out and say it."

"I have been saying it, but you're just not listening," Katie responded, equally angry. "I don't want anything but a professional relationship with you. You're not the person I want to be with. We're just not commit−"

"Don't give me that, again."

"Well, if it weren't true, then I wouldn't mention it," Katie huffed. "This past week alone, you've been with how many girls? Just face the facts, James, we can never be together."

James gave a derisive laugh, as if finally coming to a realization, "So that's it, isn't it? You just can't trust me. Even after all these years, you still think that I'm some sleazy man-slut."

Katie dropped her shoulders, and looked away from him, guiltily. "I never said that."

"You didn't have to," James walked to the door. "It's nice to know that your opinion of me hasn't changed in the slightest," he stopped at the door and turned to look at her. "And, you know, it's not like you're exactly innocent, you keep playing these games with me, Katie. One second, we're _right there_ and then, you push me away. You left me standing, last night. Do you even realize how much that hurt? Just," he ran his hand through his hair, "just, make up your mind about me." He opened the door.

"James, where are you going?" Katie sighed wearily.

"I need to get away, I just need time to think. Don't try to get in contact, I'll have Kelly call you to set up anything."

"James..."

"Goodbye, Katherine," James said, voice empty of emotion.

With his departure, Katie was left standing, staring at the closed door. She picked up the discarded bouquet of flowers and sniffed them. "Thanks for the flower, James," she whispered to the empty room, with a heavy heart.

* * *

><p>AN: Oh, Katie...

I realize that I kind of jump all over the place with this chapter, it was actually intended to be two, but because I wanted the story to move a bit faster (and to make up for my long absence), I shoved everything together.

Again, thanks so much for all the positive reviews, words can't express the gratitude.

Love,

D


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: You readers have to be the sweetest people on Earth; thank you all for the well wishes, recovery is going well! So, as to move this story a little bit faster (and to make up for the long wait between chapters), I've combined two chapters into one, like the last one.

[ThEoNeAnDoNlYeLiZaBeTh]: Thank you so much for your review, I'm so humbled by your remarks! Also, thanks for continuing to read the story even after the many grammatical errors, goes to show that no matter how many times you edit the story yourself, it's always best to have a beta! I'm actually pretty embarrassed to reread my stories and find all the mistakes, I'm hoping to go back and polish everything once the story is done.

[loganlover84]: I can guarantee you that James and Katie will end up together, but only when the story allows. ;) Please be patient lol.

[bigtimerangergirl123, salifast32, annabellex2, TeamBTR44, and Ninjabrownie]: Thank you so much for continuously leaving your positive comments!

Disclaimer: Umm...nope, BTR still isn't mine.

* * *

><p>The day had passed, and Katie hadn't had direct contact with James. Already, she felt like something was missing from her life. As promised, anything that had to be professionally dealt with, James sent messages through Kelly, and vise versa. Katie's Tuesday lunch with Kelly, was spent going over the details of James' schedule for the next six months. At this moment, he was busy in the studio, recording yet another solo album, therefore having very little reason to update Katie on anything.<p>

Kelly peered across her water glass and studied Katie, who it seemed, hadn't slept all night. "Katie," Kelly began, as soon as they closed up their respected binders. "what happened on Sunday? You left in such a hurry that night. And yesterday, James wasn't himself, usually, he's really focused during the recording sessions, but he didn't even get to finish recording the song. I saw you guys dancing together, is there something that you need to talk about?"

Katie hesitated, she didn't know if she wanted to once again explain her overdramatic life with someone else; she felt that already too many people knew about this. Magdalene forced her to spill every detail over lunch yesterday and as one of her closest friends, Katie had to tell her, not to mention that she caught James and Katie's quarrel in her office. While Mags was sympathetic, she chose not to offer any advice to Katie, feeling like this was one battle that Katie had to face on her own.

When she came home yesterday, Kendall wasn't there and didn't come back until after Katie had gone to bed. But, because she had seemingly picked up her mother's habit of worrying over her brother, she couldn't fall asleep. She lay awake until she heard her brother come home. Kendall had quietly opened her bedroom door to stand in the doorway, only to watch his sister for a few minutes before retreating back to his own bedroom for the night. His peculiar actions caused Katie to wonder if her brother had developed a completely different opinion of her; Katie was a person who could lose a lot of things in life and still move on, but she didn't think that she could lose her brother. When he left her room, Katie willed herself to believe that rejecting James was the right thing to do, everything would go back to normal and her brother would love her again.

Katie smiled sadly at Kelly. The mother of three deserved to know the truth, but Katie knew that Kelly was a buffer between she and James, and she needed to remain neutral. "It's nothing too serious, I think it'll all blow over in a couple of days. James and I, we had a disagreement, but I think he'll see it my way soon."

Kelly looked over at Katie with what she interpreted as pity. Kelly set down her glass and placed a hand on Katie's arm. Kelly's mothering ways were directed at her, "Katie, I've watched you blossom into a beautiful, bright, successful, young woman. But, I don't think I've seen you happy for the past couple of years," she shook her head when she saw Katie bristle in indignation, "I mean, _really_ happy. Yes, you've started a successful business and you're establishing yourself as a career woman, but, you've come to the point where you're doing this to achieve something, and not to fulfil your happiness. I've spent a good twenty years watching people achieve their dreams and desires, and you've lost that spark that elates people when they're loving life. It's like you're cruising by, waiting for something to happen, and the Katie that I used to know, didn't wait around, she went out and searched for it."

Katie listened to Kelly, trying to decipher her words, but couldn't. "I don't understand, I get what you're saying but, I don't think that it applies to me. I really do love what I'm doing, nothing can make me happier."

Kelly sighed in resignation. "You wish that James will see it your way soon, but, Katie, I think you need to see it my way even sooner."

* * *

><p>Katie spent the afternoon with Carlos, feeling even more empty after her conversation with Kelly. She shuffled around Rodeo Drive, idling in stores that Carlos wanted to go into, to get ready for his dinner meeting with Ali. She barely paid attention to what he was saying and simply agreed to everything.<p>

"So you think that I should wear this plaid shirt with these striped pants, which will go perfectly with that Stetson?"

Katie seemed to snap out of her haze for a moment, "Oh, what? Oh, geez, no. Here, take this and," she manoeuvred to a pile of shirts, "this to try on." She draped the choices onto one of his arms and gave him a small smile.

Carlos pulled her to sit down in one of the armchairs in the store and seated himself on the coffee table across from her. He gave her a serious stare, something that Katie wasn't used to.

"Speak."

"Carlos..." Katie sighed, dragging out his name. At this point, she just felt so exhausted, only wanting to curl up in a ball and sleep for days.

"Katie, you just left on Sunday night, without saying a word and leaving behind some stupid note. Do you realize how worried we were? All of us? Kendall was about to faint and Logan had a conniption. I waited for you to call me yesterday to explain but you didn't, so I waited for James to come home and tell me what the heck is going on with you guys, but he didn't even come home yesterday. And don't tell me it's nothing, because I _know_ something is up," Carlos spewed, completely out of nature. Katie had never seen him act so mature, or so worried, but at this moment, she couldn't deal with any more questions.

"Nothing! Nothing is up, okay?" Katie shouted, standing up, causing the store patrons to stare at her. "I am so sick and tired of people telling me to explain myself. I just want to live my life the way I want to. And if I don't want James to be a part of it, then just accept it, okay? Because it's never going to happen, we're _never_ going to be together!" Katie had turned hysterical, heaving in and out. She dropped her voice and finished off forlornly, "We're just not meant to be."

Carlos stood up, shooing away the shop's attending staff who wanted to check on Katie, he tried to place a hand on Katie, but she brushed him off.

"No, I'm sorry, Carlos. But, if anyone touches me, right now, I'll just fall apart, and I can't, I _won't_." Katie turned to walk out the store, unaware of everyone's gaze upon her.

* * *

><p>Katie felt guilty for leaving Carlos, especially right before his big dinner meeting, and for shouting at him, but she couldn't stand the pitying looks from the people around her. All of them acted like they were in on something that Katie wasn't privy to. She sent a text to Camille, asking her to help Carlos out with whatever he needed that day, and turned off her cellphone so that no one could contact her. She drove up to the mountains and found her favourite spot to be a recluse. From this point, she could see every inch of Los Angeles, her home for the past decade. For the first time, Katie stared down from the hood of the car and felt a disconnect with the city. She leaned back against the windshield, shielding her eyes from the blazing sun.<p>

She placed her free hand against her heart, wanting to feel the rhythm of the organ that kept her alive, wanting to know that she _was_ alive. The sick hollow feeling was spreading across her body, as if her body was deteriorating from the inside out. She knew that part of the feeling was because of the dilemma she currently faced with James, but she felt like it was more than that, something else was bothering her, too. Remembering her exponentially larger problem with Fulton wanting to take her company away, she knew that her feeling of desolation was partially due to the idea that she was slowly losing her greatest achievement and she had no inclination as what to do about it. Katie frowned, she loved her job, but, everything lately, just seemed to be bogging down at work. First with Fulton, and then the increase in clients, even though she loved working with Carlos and venturing into the music industry with James, but it was too much, too fast. She was drowning. For the first time in her life, Katie had no idea where she was going next. She thought of Kelly's insistence that Katie wasn't happy, and Katie tried to remember the last time she felt complete contentment. Being surrounded by the people she loved definitely gave her a feeling of joy, and she couldn't remember the last time that she had felt so carefree and light. She laughed more this week, than in the last six months and that in itself made her feel more depressed.

* * *

><p>"Katie, thank goodness, Katie!" Kendall shouted, scooping her up the second she walked through the door after midnight. He placed her on her feet and inspected her carefully. Katie saw a few emotions running through his green eyes, but he didn't react like she thought he would. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "Um, hey, baby sis," before he nonchalantly headed to the couch.<p>

Katie quirked an eyebrow as she closed the door behind her, "Hey?" She dropped her bag on dining room table. She continued watching as he casually turned the t.v. on, waiting for him to flip out on her.

After five minutes of Kendall pretending to watch the nature channel, she rolled her eyes and went to turn off the television.

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"No, you weren't. Come on, I'm waiting for you to scold me for coming home late, and Carlos probably called you to tell you about my meltdown today. So, let's hear it."

Kendall sighed, and patted the seat cushion next to him. Katie sighed as well, but sat down anyway.

"I'm not going to yell at you. I did some heavy thinking yesterday." Katie's eyebrows shot up, causing Kendall to roll his eyes, "I'm being serious. Anyway, after our last conversation, I just kept thinking of how mature you were being about, well, everything. Sure, running away wasn't probably your best move and turning off your cell phone all day had me worried sick, but, in all honesty, you've been taking care of yourself for years. I know we visit each other pretty often, but this time, it's like I'm seeing a whole different side of you. You're so invested into your work, you made sure that we had a good time out here by indulging us in that mini-vacation to Malibu, and while you did fall off the band wagon when it came to your health, I can see that you are starting to make a conscience effort to be good about it. It's about time I started seeing you as an adult and stopped treating you like my ten year old sister, because you have become one of the greatest _woman_ I know."

"So, you're not mad at me for kissing James?" Katie asked, secretly pleased that her brother didn't have a horrible opinion of her, but rather, was proud of the person that she became.

"Oh hell yeah, I'm still mad, furious even, but," Kendall pulled Katie into a side hug, "that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop loving you." He kissed the top of her head, "You'll always be my baby sister."

Katie wrapped both her arms around his waist, "You don't know how good it is to hear you say that." She sat up and gave him the best smile she could muster, causing Kendall's eyebrows to knit together. She started to get up to change out of her day clothes, but Kendall pulled her back.

"Katie," Kendall started, "I just want you to be happy."

There it was again, that word, _happy_. Katie couldn't understand why all of a sudden, people kept telling her that she looked unhappy.

Kendall continued, "Spend the day with me tomorrow. Don't go into work, and leave your cellphone at home. I promised Kelly and Gustavo that I would watch Max, Kyle and Stella for them. We could hang out with the kids at the park. It'd be good for you."

Katie hesitated, but saw the desperation in her brother's eyes. She agreed. "Okay, I'll send a message to Mags to tell her I won't be in tomorrow." Katie truly smiled when she thought of the absolute freedom she'll have tomorrow without worrying about work or James.

* * *

><p>"So which park are we going to?" Katie asked, as she slowly pulled out of the Rocques' driveway in James' car. She really had to start shopping for a new one. Kendall grinned at her from behind his sunglasses.<p>

"Yeah, where are we going, Kendall?" Max asked from the backseat, where he was strapped in with his brother and sister.

Stella made a gurgling noise from her carrier, transformed into a car seat.

Katie leaned towards her brother, but kept her gaze on the road, "Shouldn't you be sitting back there with them?"

"Technically, yes, but there's no room. And they are not allowed to sit shotgun," Kendall replied, matter-of-factly.

"And this is why soccer-moms need vans," Katie muttered to herself. "So, where to, big bro?" She asked again.

"Palm Woods Park."

Katie grinned at the windshield, thinking of her old childhood hang out. "Really?"

"Really," Kendall turned around in his seat so that he could look at the kids. "Who's ready for the park?"

Kyle, really only understanding the one word, raised his hands in glee, "Park!"

"That's right, little guy, we're going to the park," Kendall cheerfully replied.

Once Katie pulled into the Palm Woods parking lot, she looked up at the hotel that housed her childhood upbringing. She breathed in the air, "Wow, I've missed this place."

"Little help here, Katie," Kendall cried, as he tried to stop Max from zooming away from the car, meanwhile trying to balance both Kyle and Stella in one hand. Katie got out of the car and raced to the trunk to pull out the double stroller. She struggled with the opening of the deluxe cart for a few minutes before settling Kyle in his seat.

The little boy with his eyes wide open looked at Katie, "Park?"

Katie bent down and kissed his head, "Yes, Kyle, we are going to the park." She kept an eye on him as she strapped Max into one of the child leashes, so that he couldn't run far away from her. Normally, she was completely against this, but she didn't want to lose one of the kids and incurring one of Gustavo's wraths.

Kendall buckled Stella's baby carrier into the stroller; Katie had to hand to the stroller industry, they really knew how to make things handy for people.

Max huffed and threw on a pout, crossing his little arms, "I'm not a doggy."

Katie and Kendall smiled at each other. Kendall patted the top of Max's head. "Don't worry, little man, we'll have you out of that leash the second that we reach the playground, _if_," Kendall stressed, "you promise not to leave the playground."

Max gave him a look of puzzlement, "Why would I leave the playground? Playgrounds are fun."

Kendall shrugged, agreeing with him, "You're right. Let's go!" He picked up the cooler and the picnic blanket while Katie pushed the stroller with Max attached to her wrist. They walked towards the playground and settled under a nearby tree. Katie quickly released the squirming child from the leash, who quickly made way to the swirly slide.

Kyle put up his hands again when he watched his brother race towards the slide. "Park! Park!"

Katie giggled, and unbuckled the toddler. "Okay, Kyle, what do you want to play with?"

"'Wing. I wan' 'wing," Kyle said happily.

Kendall took the child from Katie. "Alright, buddy. You and I are going to play with the swings." He turned to his sister, "Are you okay to watch Stella?"

Katie nodded, "Of course. It's a good thing this girl is a sleeper," she smiled, knowing that it was rare for newborns to leave their mothers for even a few hours. Kendall laughed at his sister's remark before returning his full attention to Kyle. Katie watched as her brother repeatedly lifted Kyle high in the air and pretended to drop him on the way to the swing set, causing the little boy to laugh hysterically. She also kept an eye out on Max, who apparently had befriended another little boy playing on the swirly slide. Katie silently thanked whoever was listening that Gustavo's kids were nothing like him. She placed Stella's carrier onto the blanket so that she could sit and mind the baby simultaneously. She pulled out a comic book to read, one that she had been meaning to read for ages.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little miss Katie Knight."

Katie was startled out of her engrossment of the comic book. She looked up at the speaker who was currently looming over her. When she recognized the speaker, she hastily stood up.

"Mr. Bitters!" Out of character, Katie reached around the large man in a quick hug. "How are you?"

Like they had entered the twilight zone, Mr. Bitters laughed. "I'm good. I'm good. Still running this disaster of a place," he joked, motioning to the Palm Woods.

Katie smirked, knowing that he loved what he did. "You look great," she couldn't help but tease him a little, for old times sake, "something highly out of the ordinary."

Bitters shrugged and held up his left hand, "That may have something to do with the missis." The ring around his finger gleamed.

Katie gasped openly, "You're married."

"Three years, next month," Bitters grinned.

"How? I mean, who? I mean, congratulations!" Katie stammered, completely caught off guard by the news that the hotel manager was happily married.

Katie knew that the man before her had changed with marriage, because instead of yelling at her for being disrespectful, he chuckled good-naturedly. "I know, it is shocking, but I think I found the woman of my dreams, and we just came back from a year-long vacation. All-in-all, I am a very lucky man." Bitters looked down pointedly at the sleeping Stella, "Well, what about you? I see you've got a little one there."

Katie shook her head, but grinned, "Oh, she isn't mine. I'm just watching her for Gustavo and Kelly, you remember them, right?"

"Ah, of course. If it weren't for them, you and the hooligans would have never come to live at the Palm Woods. Speaking of which, how are they?" Bitters inquired.

Katie thought she would never see the day that Mr. Bitters would ask after the guys, but here she was, a decade later, with everything seemingly turned upside down. She spent the next fifteen minutes trying to catch up Bitters on their lives, but there was only so much she could fit into such a short amount of time.

"I'm sorry, Katie, but I do have to get back to work," Bitters said regretfully, as he stuck out his hand. "You should come by another time, we should play another round of air hockey while we finish catching up."

Katie laughed, "Okay, but make sure you see Kendall before you go back, he's right there by the rocking dinosaur," she pointed out.

Bitters smiled, "It was good seeing you, Katie."

Katie returned his grin, "You, too." She watched as Bitters approached Kendall, startling her brother from his playdate with Kyle. Kendall embraced him in a hug, grinning as he did so. The two caught up for a few minutes before Katie saw Mr. Bitters look at his watch and Kendall nodded in understanding. Mr. Bitters walked back to the hotel and Kendall turned to catch her eye, pointing at the hotel manager's retreating back with a look of disbelief. Katie smiled and shrugged before returning to her book.

She continued reading until Max came running up to her a short while later. "Katie, I'm hungry."

Katie put her book down and tickled the little boy. "Good, 'cause we have some sandwiches waiting to be eaten."

Max let out a giggle, before turning around to look at the playground, "Is Kendall eating with us?"

Katie looked at the playground as well and spotted her brother. She laughed at Kendall's current predicament. Her brother was being harassed by a woman who, apparently, had taken a liking to the supposed single father. She watched, amused, as her brother gently tried to edged away from the over-exuberant single mother herself. As much as she loved Kendall, she equally loved seeing him suffer every once in a while, too.

"You know what, Max? Kendall looks busy, why don't we just get started on lunch, and he can join us afterwards."

Max shrugged and plopped himself down onto the picnic blanket. Katie handed him a sandwich and a juice-box. She was about to help herself to one, when Stella woke up. Katie happily took the baby out of the carrier and fed her while Max was chowing down on lunch. Tired of the silence, the little boy looked questioningly at Katie.

"Where's James? Didn't he want to come play with me?"

Katie was stunned and stared at Max for a little while before coming out of her stupor. She gave a small smile, "I'm not sure. I haven't talked to him recently, but I'm sure that he wanted to come play with you today, he's probably busy working." Even though she had wanted to spend the day not worrying about James, she couldn't help but lapse into moments when she would wonder what he was doing at that very moment.

Max swallowed, "How come you don't talk to him? Mommy says that you guys like each other, and when mommy and daddy like each other, they talk." He answered logically.

Flustered, Katie tried to explain herself to her companion. "James and I like each other, but we don't like each other the way that your mom and dad like...each other," Katie ended awkwardly, noticing how she was repeating the same phrase over and over again.

"Yes, you do. That's why daddy wrote that song, _We Don't Know_. He said that it was about you and James. I tried listening to it, but I don't get it. How can you not know if you like someone? If you like someone, you want to play with them all the time, and if you don't, then you don't play with them, right?" Max questioned, before taking another bite of his sandwich. "Oh look, Kendall and Kyle are coming over!" He waved them over to the blanket.

Katie continued feeding Stella, digesting what Max had said to her. She knew that she was a muse for Gustavo for that song, but she hadn't realized that the song was about her and James. Katie recalled that James had told her that the song was about his personal life, she sighed and shook her head, not wanting to stress out over the man. She frowned, slightly putout that a child seemed to have a better understanding of relationships than she did.

"Hey!" Kendall cried out, somewhat angrily, as he and Kyle reached them. "Why didn't you come and save me from super-mom? I know you saw me!" Kendall's eyes bugged out as he gently seated Kyle down beside his brother. Kyle reached out and tried to grab his brother's juice-box. Katie hastily reached into the cooler and pulled out his sippy-cup before a fight ensued between the siblings.

She looked at Kendall and smirked, "Oh, I just thought that you were having a nice chat with a lady-friend. Why, did something happen?" She asked in faux confusion.

Kendall made a face, "Ha ha. Very funny. I'm glad you had a good laugh at my expense!" He said sarcastically, before searching for the hand-sanitizer.

Katie laughed, "I did, thanks." Stella had finished drinking her milk so Katie prepared to burp her. Kendall watched his sister with a gleam in his eyes, grabbing food for both Kyle and him.

"You know," he said, as he bit into his lunch, "you'd make a pretty decent mom."

Katie let out a derisive chuckle as she patted Stella's back. "Didn't you just tell me like a week ago that I shouldn't have kids?"

Kendall shook his head before swallowing, "I said that you should not have _biological_ kids. I told you to adopt some. I'm totally serious," he stated when he saw Katie roll her eyes, "You're a complete natural. Stella hasn't cried and Kyle and Max are still one piece."

Katie rolled her eyes again, "Don't be weird and eat your lunch."

Kyle toddled over to Katie, and perched his little hands on her thigh before quizzically asking, "Mama?" Katie glanced at Kendall, worried about the possible chain-reaction of tears that might occur if all the kids realized that Kelly wasn't with them. She stopped patting Stella to stroke his curly brown hair.

"Mama is with daddy, right now. Kendall and I are going to take you, Stella and Max for ice cream before we meet up with them, okay?" Katie waited with bated breath as she watched the child contemplate her answer.

"I-cream?"

Katie smiled, "Ice cream."

"'Kay." Kyle turned back to his lunch.

Katie let out a sigh of relief, Kendall smirked at her, "Told ya."

When they all finished eating, Katie made sure that they all took a bathroom break before heading out to the ice cream parlour. She strolled Kyle and Stella into the woman's washroom, and Kendall took Max. While Katie wasn't a fan of dirty diapers, she wasn't sure that Kendall would survive changing one, let alone two.

At the ice cream parlour, they decided to sit outside, allowing the kids to eat their rapidly dripping cones whilst watching the skaters across the street perform tricks on their boards. Katie secretly hoped that Max wasn't developing an interest in skateboarding, in case he took after his father in this particular department, wincing as she remembered a certain crash. Kendall went inside to grab a few napkins and Katie joined the kids watching the entertainment.

She got a feeling of nostalgia when one teen was trying to teach a younger girl how to perform a specific trick on the board. She thought back to when the boys would hang out in front of their homes in Minnesota, skating back and forth, and she would sit inside, waiting until her mom left for work so she could join the guys. Kendall refused to teach her, and threatened to beat any of his friends who would, in case she got hurt. Logan quickly agreed with his friend, listing all sorts of medical emergencies that could possible happen. Carlos, not wanting to get on his friend's bad side, didn't teach Katie either, but slipped her an extra helmet, receiving a dangerous glare from Kendall. James stood quiet, nodding along with his friends. When the guys decided that they wanted to practice their ramp jumps, James whined about not having his lucky comb on him, and he didn't want to risk falling down and blemishing 'the face.' Instead, he hung out directly across the street from where Katie had situated herself, practising basic manoeuvres. Katie watched as he performed the same moves over and over again, until she realized that he was doing it for her benefit. Eventually, she was able to skate along with the boys, and when Kendall asked where she learned it, she blamed it on television.

Katie sighed, staring at the skateboarders; it seemed everything she did reminded her of James. She subconsciously kept thinking of what he was doing, if he was still angry with her, if he was even thinking of her. She shook her head, wondering how it was that James had seemingly taken over her brain in a such a short time span, she felt like a preteen, again, obsessing over a guy. Katie wondered when she became this sort of woman; she hoped that she wasn't becoming reliant on a man for happiness. She bit her lip, thinking about Bitters. The man was now married and elated, but he also mentioned that he just came back from a year-long vacation. She then thought about Carlos, who was arguably, the happiest person that she knew, and how he spent two years exploring the world. Her eyes widened, as she suddenly felt like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders, when a thought sprung to mind.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kendall's voice broke her concentration.

She turned to see that her brother had returned with much needed serviettes to wipe the children's mouths.

Katie smiled up at her brother, "I think I just came up with a way for me to be 'happy.'"

"Really?" Her brother quirked an infamous eyebrow.

Katie nodded, giggling. "I think I'm going on vacation."

Kendall grinned hopefully, "Are you coming back to Minnesota with me?"

Katie shrugged, "Don't know, yet. But I know that I need to get out of here and just...escape."

"What about work? Aren't you in the process of duking it out with Fulton? And aren't you hiring someone, too?"

"I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing, yet, but I'll figure something out before I leave," she replied optimistically.

"And what about James?" Kendall asked hesitantly.

Katie took a serviette and wiped the boys' mouths before turning her attention back to her brother. "I don't know. I expect time will just blow this thing over, and I'll get past it. We'll both get over it, besides, I'm not exactly his favourite person right now."

Kendall frowned, seeing his sister's defeated smile, but didn't comment. "If that's what you want."

"It's what I need."

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><p>AN: Well, I know it's not the most Jatie-ladened chapter, but we'll get there, eventually. I'm trying to make the chapters longer to get to the moment when they get together faster, but please be patient!

As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read this story!

Love,

D


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I've just been busy working on the later chapters and forgot to edit this one.

[ThEoNeAnDoNlYeLiZaBeTh]: I'm glad you noticed that, and it will be answered in this chapter. As for how long it takes me to write a chapter, it usually depends on how motivated/inspired I am. I usually have a few chapters in a queue, waiting to be edited, and I usually keep them there so that I can go back and change anything to fix the flow of the story. Thanks for your kind remarks.

[Love and Heartz]: Thank you for your sweet words! I am so humbled to hear that you are now more of a Jatie shipper because of this story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush nor the Kings

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><p>Katie dropped Kendall and the kids at the studio, informing her brother about an errand she had to run. Kendall smiled, knowing that he didn't have to worry about her. Katie went back home and made a call to James' house.<p>

Henry picked up the phone, and Katie felt both relieved and disappointed that it wasn't James who answered. "Hey, Henry, it's Katie. Is Carlos there? Thanks, oh, Henry, how is James doing?" Katie couldn't help but ask the butler. "Okay, that's...great. No, please don't let him know I asked after him, I just...I just needed to know," Katie let out. "I'll wait, thanks, Henry." Katie waited until Carlos picked up the phone after a few minutes had passed. "Hey, Carlos. I'm sorry for running out on you, yesterday. Do you think you can forgive me?" Katie bit her lip, waiting for the Latino to answer her. She smiled slightly when she heard a relenting sigh on the other side of the line. "Will you come over for a bit? I have something to discuss with you. Thanks, I'll see you later."

Katie hung up her phone and gave a sigh of relief. She then sent an email to Mags, asking her to call up Jack, and Laura, another potential business associate, for a second meeting the next day. Katie smiled in satisfaction, thinking of her newfound plan for the future. After the amount of chaos her life had tumbled into the past couple of days, Katie felt like she was finally getting her life back on track.

To surprise Carlos, and to make up what she did to him yesterday, Katie went into the kitchen and pulled out an emergency tube of snickerdoodle mix. While her mother's recipe wasn't exactly a family inheritance, she did feel that this was a bizarre tradition that could be passed down to future generations. She hummed to herself while working, until her doorbell rang.

She ran to the door and pulled it open to a pouty Carlos, standing with his arms crossed.

Katie rolled her eyes, holding on the door, "I thought you said I was forgiven?"

Carlos walked in, "You are, but I'm still angry." He sniffed the air, causing Katie to smirk knowingly. He turned around to look at her, "Is that...Mama Knight's snickerdoodles, I smell?"

Katie schooled her facial features, determined not to grin at her obvious success, "Yes, but, I'm not sharing them with you, unless you really forgive me."

Carlos tapped his foot, until he finally opened his arms wide, "Fine."

Katie giggled and hopped into his hug. "Good, 'cause I wouldn't have been able to eat all those cookies by myself." Carlos snorted. "Alright, I could probably eat all of them, but, I'd rather let you have some, too." She finally let go of Carlos to check on the cookies. "So, how did your dinner with Ali go, last night?"

"It went well, we chatted over mundane things and then got down to business."

Katie peered over the counter, still bent over her oven. "Well?"

Carlos grinned, knowing that she was dying to know the outcome of the dinner meeting. "It's pretty official, he's agreed to become my agent. All we have to do is sign the papers."

"Carlos! I'm so happy for you. Congratulations!" Katie squealed.

Carlos grinned, "Well, really, I have you to thank."

Katie shook her head, "Nuh-uh, don't start on that again. I told you, this was all you." She gave him a wide smile, before turning around and grabbing a plate for the cookies, all the while, humming. She turned back around to find Carlos giving her a quizzical look. "What?"

"You're in much better spirits than when I saw you, yesterday. Did you patch things up with Ja−"

Katie interrupted him, "Nope, not going to talk about that. But, I do have something to tell you, and it's really going to affect you." Carlos frowned when she wouldn't answer his question, but nodded all the same, intent on listening to what she had to tell him. Katie let out a breath, before speaking again, "I'm going to be taking an extended vacation, soon. So, I won't be around to help you prepare for your role and to guide you through all the decision-making processes. But, now with Ali, he can definitely help you in those aspects, and I'm going to be expanding my management team, so there'll always be someone to answer any questions."

Carlos stared at her with wide eyes, "Wow, Katie. This is so sudden, I don't know what to say."

Katie's grin dropped as she took the cookie tray out of the oven. "I know it's a lot to process, but, I thought you'd be happy for me. That's why I told you first, well, after Kendall. I haven't told any of my other clients yet, and they're probably not going to be so supportive of my decision to leave my company so soon after its expansion...and possible takeover," she added, remembering her issue with Fulton.

"Takeover?" Carlos questioned.

Katie shook her head, "Long story, get Kendall to tell you. But, I need to know, are you okay with me leaving? If not, I'll stick around−"

"Go," Carlos interrupted. "I'll be fine, like you said, I have Ali now, and your management team. I'll figure everything out. Katie-cakes, I _am_ happy that you are taking time for yourself, I've been begging you for years to take a vacation. I mean, what person hasn't experienced the rays of the Caribbean or the adventures in Africa?

Katie scrunched up her nose as she piled the cookies onto the plate, "Actually, I was thinking more Europe."

Carlos chuckled, "Doesn't matter. I'm just glad that you're doing this for you. Wait," he paused, "you are doing this for you, right? It's not some sort of attempt to avoid James?" He shook his head in frustration, "Why won't you guys say anything about this? It's been driving me crazy! James hasn't done anything except lock himself up in his study. We don't even know what he does in there, Logan's afraid that he's going to drink himself to death or something."

Katie was astounded by the news. "But, Henry told me that James was okay."

"Well, Henry _lied_." Carlos stated snidely.

"Why would he do that?" Katie asked in confusion.

Carlos threw his hands up, "Gee, I don't know, maybe because James told him to! And before you ask why, it's probably because he doesn't want you to find out that he's sunk into a deep depression because you refuse to love him back or at least admit to him that you do." Carlos shrugged at Katie's bewildered stare, "I may have been talking to Camille about this." Carlos leaned forward on the counter, "Katie, whatever it is that is happening between you and James, don't let it destroy what you guys are, especially to each other," he ended, wisely, reaching over for a cookie. He took a big bite and quickly gagged, spitting it out onto the counter. "These taste awful!"

Katie pouted, eating one herself, and promptly spat out the snickerdoodle into the sink. "Okay, clearly mom is hiding something in her recipe because these are not her cookies."

"You could say that again," Carlos muttered, smacking his lips to alleviate the taste from his mouth.

"How could I possibly mess this up? It's _pre-made_!" Katie scratched her head in frustration.

The Hispanic man chuckled, absentmindedly taking another bite, before spitting it out again. Carlos glared at Katie who had broken out into giggles at his misfortune, before chucking a cookie at her head.

"Ow!"

Carlos smirked, "_Now_, you're forgiven."

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><p>That night, Katie took Kendall out for dinner, afraid of returning to the kitchen after the disaster from that afternoon. She had invite Carlos to join them, but he declined her offer, stating that he wanted to go back and check up on James. Katie asked him to keep her informed if anything happened, hoping that James wouldn't resort to doing anything stupid. Carlos had sighed, but agreed to her request.<p>

Katie had taken Kendall back to _Giancarlo's_, because it was one of her brother's favourite restaurants.

"So, have you decided on what to do about your business?" Kendall asked, before taking a bite of his chicken.

Katie nodded, swallowing. "I'm going to hire an associate and a replacement, so that way, no one would be overwhelmed with the workload. I've been saving up, and with the increase in clients, I should be able to sufficiently pay them, for a little while anyway. As with Fulton," Katie sipped her wine before continuing, "I still have a couple of weeks left to decide what to do. If it turns out that I can't stop him, then I'll sell him my company and take a year-long sabbatical."

"So, you're just going to let him buy you out, just like that? You put your blood, sweat and tears into this company," Kendall said, surprised at his sister's nonchalant attitude.

"I know, but, I'm actually really excited just to..._be_, you know? Look," Katie leaned in, "I can always start another management company in a year or two, if I feel like it. It's not going to be the end of the world for me. At first, I did think that losing my company would be the worst thing that could happen to me. I've devoted my whole life to establishing this as my career, but seeing you, and Carlos, and Bitters," Katie listed, "made me realize that there's more for me out there, than my office and my business." Katie smiled, finally feeling that she had control of her life again, knowing that she wasn't boxed into a corner.

Kendall warmly returned her smile, "I'm proud of you, Katie."

"Thanks. So, are you ever going to tell me where you've been sneaking off to, this past week? And, you can't tell me nowhere, because you disappear for hours at a time, and no one has a clue of your whereabouts." Katie gasped, "Is it a girl? Have you met someone? Tell me!"

Kendall snorted, "Absolutely not. I've sworn off dating." Katie rolled her eyes, hearing her brother make this statement before. "I'm serious. I've actually been talking to some people about some things."

Katie stared pointedly at Kendall. "Yeah, that wasn't vague at all," she said sarcastically.

Kendall sighed, putting down his fork, "Okay, the real reason I came out here, besides visiting you of course," he added quickly, seeing his sister's unimpressed expression, "is that the L.A. Kings have asked me to consider becoming an assistant coach."

Katie gasped again, "Kendall, that's huge. Why haven't you mentioned it? Does this mean that you're moving back here?"

"That's why I haven't said anything. I don't know what I'm going to do, yet. The deal is amazing, sure, but I have a life in Minnesota, too. I can't just abandon the hockey team, and _mom_. You already live out here, it just might kill her if we both leave her."

"Don't be stupid. Mom would be perfectly fine if you moved out here, too. Besides, she can always come with you. Not to mention, this is the _Kings_, we're talking about. The NHL? Kendall, it's always been your dream to make it to the big leagues. I'm sure your team would understand; who knows, in a couple of years, you could possibly coach them again." Katie stated, trying to persuade her brother. Seeing her brother's furrowed eyebrows, she sighed. "How long do you have to make a decision?"

"Well, the GM told me to take as much time as I needed, but I'm thinking a couple of weeks, max," Kendall told Katie, knowing that the team's general manager was only being polite.

"Okay, then," Katie replied, a little blasé, "you have a couple of weeks to decide what to do with your life, and I have a couple of weeks to decide what to do with my company. We, Knights, are going to do what's right for us."

Kendall pulled a face and pointed to himself, "Aren't I the one that usually gives the motivational speeches?"

"As if, big brother. You always give the pep talk to the guys, I'm the one that usually gives them to you," Katie smirked. From the expression on his face, Katie could tell that Kendall wasn't amused with her revelation. She giggled, as she heard her brother mumble to himself something about her being too smart for her own good.

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><p>AN: Well, it was a short one. I'll try to get the next one up sooner.

Thank you all for leaving a review and having this story on your favourites and alerts. I am so overwhelmed by your positive support!

I would love to continue hearing your comments on HM, so please leave a review!

Much love,

D


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Well readers, as promised, here's the next chapter!

I am still amazed at how dedicated you readers are to this story! I can't thank you enough for submitting reviews and having this on your favourites and alerts! All your comments are seriously appreciated! getlostinthesound and flutegirl0422, telling me that receiving an update of this story makes your day, makes _my_ day! TeamBTR44, salifast32,bigtimerangergirl123 and loganlover84, your constant positive reviews really helped me keep going with this story, so thank you for sticking with this since pretty much day one!

[larrrrrrystyllinson]: One of my favourite things about reviews is how readers tell me their reactions to my character portrayals, it shows how invested you guys are to the story, so thank you so much for reading!

Disclaimer: I have no legal affiliation with the Big Time Rush show.

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><p>As she informed her brother, Katie spent Thursday morning discussing her arrangements with her new business associates. Katie had apologized to Jack as soon as he walked through the door, for James' behaviour the last they had met. Being a good sport, Jack told her that he was just glad that she was giving him this opportunity, feeling like he overstepped the boundary by previously asking her out. Katie had assured him that she didn't hold it against him, but made it clear that she only wished to work with him in a professional setting.<p>

Katie's meeting with Laura went surprisingly well, considering that Katie informed the older, more experienced manager, that her position was only temporary. Katie could only hire Laura as a replacement for herself. After a short moment of hesitation, the older woman agreed, telling Katie that would give her just enough time to decide whether or not she really wanted to stay in Hollywood and work. As a mother of two young children, Laura was in the process of deciding if she wanted to be a working mom, at least for the critical years of their lives.

With the agreement of both employees, Katie informed them of Fulton's attack, and they had to be prepared for whatever was coming. Feeling like she needed to protect whatever valuable assets that she had, Katie created a contract that stated that if another company were to takeover Knight Management, her current employees would be legally protected from any unprovoked dismissals. Katie was sure that Fulton would have a legal team who would be ready to tear this contract to pieces, but her legal advisors assured her that their jobs would be secure for at least a year under FMA. Katie knew that she made the right decision to hire Jack and Laura when they both offered their support and allegiance to Knight Management against Fulton.

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><p>When Katie walked out of her office that afternoon, she decided drive along Sunset Boulevard to watch the tourists as they meandered Los Angeles, trying to soak up the Hollywood scene. Out of the blue, she stopped off at the Fun Burger that was situated near the Palm Woods to get a bite to eat. She was glad that the place was still open after all these years; the family of 2J had come here, every now and then, to eat a burger while she was growing up. She had some great memories of this place, including her first, and semi-disastrous date; coincidently, the hostess had seated her in the same booth as that night, and she looked over towards the booth that James and his date were sitting at, when he was acting quite overprotective of her.<p>

Katie sighed, putting down her burger, finally realizing that she only came here because it reminded her of James. She groaned before speaking to herself, lowly as to not attract looks from the other restaurant patrons.

"Why is it so hard to get over him?" A nagging voice was trying to push its way through her brain, but she quickly suppressed it by changing the song in the mini jukebox. She didn't want to listen to the voice that she suspected came from her heart. She devoured her meal quickly and left the restaurant before her mind strayed to James again.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't with Katie. After she had vacated Fun Burger, she ran straight into Beverly. The other brunette had just spotted Katie, and Katie could see the hesitation strewn across the veterinarian's face. Katie sighed internally, but waved at Beverly, who had returned the sentiment.

Katie approached the other woman, "Hi Bev, how are you?"

Beverly nodded slightly, "I could be better."

The two women stood there, shuffling their feet, unable to say anything to each other before Beverly pointed up to a giant billboard behind Katie, "You look great."

Katie quirked an eyebrow in confusion before turning around and looking in the direction that Beverly was pointing at. Somehow, Katie had passed the advertisement she and James and done for 'Cuda, without even realizing it. Katie's face flushed immediately, she hadn't realized that the company was going to post the ad across one of the busiest streets in North America, now allowing all of Los Angeles to see her pose so provocatively with James. Nor had she known that they were starting the campaign so quickly. She turned back to Beverly and smiled sheepishly.

"I had no idea that it would be so...big."

Apparently, Katie had said the right thing, because Bev laughed, breaking the tension between the two ladies.

"James was right, you really are funny," Beverly stated unexpectedly.

Katie gave her a half-smile. "I'm sorry, I heard that you two are broken up."

Bev shrugged, "Can't say that I wasn't expecting it." Beverly considered Katie for a moment, before continuing. "But, you know, he didn't break up with me for the reason that I thought he would." Katie gave her a confused look which prompted Beverly to ask Katie the next question, "Do you have time to sit for a coffee or something?"

Katie nodded slowly, completely unsure of where this conversation was going. She wondered if Beverly had seen the kiss between her and James, last Sunday night. Normally, Katie could care less about people's feelings, being in the entertainment industry and all, but, Beverly seemed to be a genuinely good person, which made Katie want to be completely honest with her.

After they had settled down in a café a patio with beverages, Katie peered at Beverly, wondering what the woman had to say to her. She cleared her throat, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Beverly took a sip of her iced tea, looking tentatively over at Katie. "Do you remember when we first met, and I told you that I was worried about James' possible oversized ego? He had asked me out right away, without wasting any time, and I thought that it was partially because he thought he was a celebrity, and that normal rules don't apply to him."

"Vaguely, yes," Katie answered, trying to remember the conversation.

"Well, when I agreed to go out with him, I worried that he was going to be just another one of those celebrities that you read about in the tabloids, you know, the ones that just scream slimeball. I did have a really nice chat with him, and that's what made me agree to a date, but I couldn't help but be on my toes about him. Along with the ego, I also wondered if James was asking me out just to get into my pants."

Katie tried not to let the image of Beverly and James in bed seep into her mind.

Beverly continued speaking, "I waited all night for him to try to take me to bed, but he didn't. He was a complete gentleman. I expected James to be a complete playboy, from all the stories that I've read about him, you could imagine how surprised I was when he not only dropped me off at home without any intentions of coming in with me, but asking me out on a second date, too. In fact, James spent the night going on about the guys and about you. Especially, about you."

Katie bit her lip, looking away from the pretty brunette.

Beverly chuckled ruefully, "I should have seen it from the start. I don't think a conversation passed between us, that he didn't manage to drag you into it." She spun the drink in her hand before continuing, the condensation dripping slowly. "I don't think I actually realized anything until the night of the dinner in Malibu."

Katie glanced up at Beverly, hoping that she wasn't going to bring up the kiss. It was one thing for her to want to tell Beverly about it, and another thing to be put to shame.

Katie feigned naïvety, "Oh?"

"Katie, when I said that James dumped me for a reason that I didn't expect, what did you think I was talking about?" Beverly asked, rhetorically. "James may not be the brightest bulb out there, but I can tell that he has a really good heart. And, if it weren't for the fact that he was in love with you, well, I'd still probably be throwing myself at him."

Katie's eyes widened at Beverly's blunt remark. "Bev, what? I...James and I are just friends..."

Beverly smiled pityingly at the shocked woman across from her, "I think that's the problem. You know," she started slowly, "I saw that kiss on the dance floor, and your fleeing." Katie dropped her jaw. "I should be pretty pissed at you."

Katie squeezed her eyes shut, in complete horror. "Oh geez. Bev, I'm _so_ sorry," Katie managed to whisper, feeling ashamed of her actions. "Wait...'should?'" Katie asked, opening her eyes in wonder.

Bev smirked, sipping her iced tea, cooly. "Yeah, 'should.' I felt so humiliated when I saw you two, but after James' unceremonious dumping, and a few days of simmering anger, I came to a couple of realizations; one, I was angry at the both of you for longer than the actual duration of mine and James' relationship. Two, I didn't know James long enough to be that angry about our break-up, and three, this one was the hardest to accept, you weren't the third wheel in the relationship."

"Come again?" Katie gasped, bewildered.

"You heard me. Now I won't go so far as to blame myself, James is still a jerk for asking me out and leaving me point blank, but, I can't say that you're the reason for breaking us up. Katie, I'm a doctor, I'm naturally quite perceptive, it's partially why I'm choosing to talk to you at this moment." She sighed, before leaning in to continue talking, "When I met him, I knew James was emotionally selfish, actually, he's probably selfish in all ways, but, when it comes to you, it's like he would do anything to make you happy. I shivered all night before James offered his jacket for warmth, and by that time, we were already at my front door. When he found out about your car, he offered to replace it immediately. And, he got really excited about the trip to Malibu, I don't think he would have invited me, if it weren't for the fact that he kept letting it slip that you guys were going."

Beverly let out a a small chuckle, "You should have seen him, he was like a little boy who was idolizing his hero; 'Katie this,' and 'Katie that.' I really have no idea how I didn't see it sooner." Her smile dropped slightly, gazing at Katie seriously, "But, what really gave it away was how he kept staring at you all night. No, it wasn't even that, it was the way that he was looking at you."

Katie blushed, unable to hold her voice steady, "I...I don't know what you mean."

Beverly shook her head, "Yes, you do. It's the way that you want to look at him."

Katie flopped back in her seat and really considered Beverly. "Why are you telling me this?"

Her companion raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders, "I really don't know, maybe it's the good Samaritan in me, or maybe I'm a hopeless romantic. Either way, I just had to let you know." She took another sip of her drink before adding an afterthought, "I would have liked you, Katie."

Katie understood that their conversation was wrapping up. She gave Beverly a small smile, "I would have liked you, too. Unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately, these things happen," Beverly confirmed.

* * *

><p>Katie spent the afternoon wandering Los Angeles, trying to find Kendall a good-bye present, something of a tradition, between her and her brother. While she idled in the local touristy shops, she contemplated her discussion with Beverly. Again, someone had told her that James was in love with her; she blew a raspberry, startlingly an old lady standing next to her. Katie grinned apologetically before scampering away.<p>

She made her way to a bus bench, facing away from another gigantic poster of her and James. Katie watched, bemused at two teenaged girls, who squealed when they saw the poster.

"Oh my gosh!" One of them drawled out, nasally. "That's like James freaking Diamond! He's so cute."

"I'm so jealous of that girl, she's, like totally, draped all over him. Smelling his essence." Her friend remarked.

Katie bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I know, right? Oh my gosh! I'm gonna go buy this for my boyfriend, that way he'll smell like James! And who knows, maybe I'll pick one up for myself, so that way, my boyfriend would look at me like that!"

The two girls giggled and continued walking. Katie sat, bewildered by the success of the advertisement. She turned to look at the poster, willing herself not to blush. Katie definitely saw the lust that emitted from the both of them off the poster. She couldn't believe that they had taken it so far that day, if Daniella hadn't stopped them, they might have not.

Katie placed her head in hands, a position she was recently getting used to. She knew that she and James liked each other, but love? That was a territory Katie wasn't prepared to enter. She was only twenty-two, too young to fall in love, at least the kind of love that lasted forever. Katie thought about what she had been telling James and everyone else who had listened; she was afraid of breaking apart the relationships that everyone had, but if she was being completely honest with herself, she didn't want to lose James.

"I can't," she whispered, thinking about how much it would hurt if he disappeared from her life for good. She sat up and pulled out her cellphone, wanting to call James, right away. Her fingers hesitated over the call button, she had no idea what to say to him.

She sighed, and stood up, deciding that she would talk to him when she knew what to say. But, Katie knew that was the problem, she didn't know when she was going to come up with something to say.

* * *

><p>Katie came home, ready to make another meal for Kendall, before they spent another night playing video games together. Though she wanted to be completely selfish, and just have another Knight siblings bonding night, she knew her brother would be ecstatic with another night hanging with his friends.<p>

"Hey Cam, it's me," Katie pulled the phone away from her ear when her friend started to shriek hysterically on the other end. "Cam. Cam. Camille! Listen, I'm sorry for ditching and avoiding you all week. I promise, I'll spend hours telling you everything, just not tonight. Yes, I'll treat you to a spa day. Will you and Logan come over tonight? I'm making dinner before Kendall leaves, and I know that he would love to hang out with the guys before he goes. Yep, I'm going to call Carlos right after this to let him know. Thanks, Cam. See you soon."

Katie smiled, ready to call James' home line to see if he and Carlos wanted to come over as well, when her brother walked through her door, Latino in tow. "Oh, hey guys. I was just about to call you, Carlos."

"For what? Did you hear something from the studio?" Carlos bounded into the kitchen, excitedly.

"I was just going to tell you to come over, and nope," Katie shook her head, "I still haven't heard anything. But, don't worry, studios usually take forever before making a casting decision, and the director said that you pretty much had it in the bag."

"Oh, well, I'm here. Hey, did you buy any corn-dogs?" Carlos asked, reaching into one of the grocery bags.

Kendall came into the kitchen as well, grabbing a water bottle at the same moment that Katie slapped Carlos' hand away. "No, I didn't. I have some in the freezer, but, don't eat any. I'm making dinner."

Carlos made a face, "Are you sure about that?"

Katie punched him in the arm, "That tube of snickerdoodle was faulty. And, don't act like you've never eaten my cooking before and _liked_ it." Carlos and Kendall nudged each other, chuckling over Katie's obvious embarrassment at failure. "Will you guys shut up and help me put the stuff away?"

"Sorry, baby sis, gotta shower," Kendall stated, raising one of his arms, and wafting his other hand underneath it.

Katie shoved him out of her kitchen, "Gross." Kendall fist-bumped Carlos across the bar counter, laughing. Katie crossed her arms. "This is you getting back at me for leaving you with super-mom, isn't it?"

Kendall gave her his famous dimpled-smile, before pointing his fingers at her, "Yes, yes it is." He laughed again before closing the door to the guest room.

Carlos laughed along with his buddy, though helped Katie shelve her purchases away. Kati rolled her eyes, but continued her task. She glanced feverishly at Carlos for a few minutes before trying to strike up another conversation, as cool as possible. "So, James couldn't make it? It is Kendall's last night, here."

Carlos stopped what he was doing to grin knowingly at Katie. "Why? You miss him?"

Katie scoffed, "No!" She cried, too adamantly. "I was just wondering, 'cause Kendall was pissed at him for...something," she finished, lamely.

"Kendall was mad at James? Oh, I guess that's why he and James stayed holed up in his office for so long. I was wondering what they were doing in there," Carlos brought one hand up to scratch his chin, pondering about that afternoon's events at the mansion. "James still won't come out of his office. I don't know what he's doing in there, but I guess it's alright, Kendall did come out smiling."

"Kendall smiled? After talking to James?" Katie's eyes widened, pulling on Carlos' shoulders to bring him closer, "Did you make sure he was alive?"

"Alive? Wha−Katie, what happened between you guys?" Carlos cried, feeling unaware of the situation at hand.

"I have to check to make sure that Kendall didn't kill him," Katie frantically replied, searching for her keys.

"Kill him? For what? Katie, what happened?" Carlos asked again, raising his voice in panic.

"Katie, relax. I didn't kill him." Kendall said, stepping out of his room.

"Kendall! Katie...James...what...killed?" Carlos uttered, still hysterical.

"Katie and James...kissed," Kendall told Carlos, turning slightly green. Katie sat down onto one of the bar stools, glad that she didn't have to think of an excuse to cover her brother's homicide.

Carlos stood there, soaking in the information before clapping his hands and pointing at Katie, "Oh!" He laughed, manically. "I knew it! I knew it! When did it happen?"

"Carlos!" Kendall shouted.

"Sorry."

"It was at the restaurant in Malibu. Apparently, the two of them enjoyed dancing together a little too much," Kendall raised one of his eyebrows at his sister before looking back at Carlos. "Katie believed that I was going to murder James, after finding out," he shrugged his shoulders, "which, to be honest, I wanted to," he held up his hands in defence when he saw Katie's accusing look, "but, I didn't."

"Why does that make you want to kill James?" Carlos asked, still confused. Katie and Kendall sighed dramatically, waiting for their friend to come to the right conclusion on his own. The epiphany came a minute later which Carlos signalled with a snap of his fingers and a gleam in his eyes. "Oh! Okay, got it."

Katie furrowed her eyebrows, standing up and walking towards her brother, "Wait, why would you come out, after a talk with James, looking happy?"

Kendall gave her a toothless grin and pointed a finger at her, "I can't answer that, at least not right now."

Katie was about to respond, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "This isn't over, big brother," Katie warned, pointing a finger back at Kendall while answering the door.

Katie opened the door to a smiling Camille and Logan.

"Hey, guys," Katie greeted. "Come on in."

Katie closed the door after the two had entered her domain. She sized up the guests in her house, feeling like they were incomplete without the presence of James. She walked over to nudge Kendall with her shoulder, "So, if you're okay with James, why isn't he here?"

"Well, I'm technically still pretty mad at him, but I'm not talking about that now. Also, he has something that he needs to do, so we said our farewells already."

"What's more important than hanging out together, on your last day here?" Katie wondered aloud, trying to get a more straightforward answer out of her brother.

"Sorry, can't say," he shrugged, before turning to the other guests. "Okay, who's ready to game?"

Katie and Camille had prepared dinner while they allowed the boys to enjoy a round of _Bio Hazard: Battle Blast 12: Crotchy Returns, Again_. They had initially feared that the boys would start fighting after five minutes of the game, but because all of them gave the girls the puppy-dog look, something that Katie had taught them over the years, Cam and Katie had caved.

When dinner was over and the boys continued playing, Katie took Cam into her study to explain her most recent decision to go on vacation.

When she was finished, she looked at Cam, "So, are you okay with this?"

Camille, ever the actress, stood and paced the study floor. "Katie, geez, why haven't you said anything? Fulton is really going to take over your company? Do you want me to talk to my lawyers? They're really good at finding loopholes in contracts."

Katie stood up as well, placing her hands on Camille's shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. She shook her head, "Cam, this really is happening, calm down. And, no, I don't need your lawyers, I have mine; they're combing through everything, trying to find out how to stop Fulton from taking my company. But," she pushed Camille back into her previous seat, "that's not what I want you to focus on. Since I'm leaving on such short notice, I need you to watch out for Carlos for me. I have the new managers and his agent ready for him, but I think he'd really appreciate some help from someone he knows well."

Camille nodded, "Of course." She smiled ruefully at Katie, "I just can't believe that you're ready to leave the company, after all the work you put in. It's great that you're going on vacation, but you put so much effort into this business, I'd hate to see it go all to waste."

As much as she was accepting of the idea that she would eventually lose Knight Management to Fulton, Katie couldn't help but regret its loss. She wasn't completely truthful with Kendall about being completely fine with leaving the company and finding time for herself; Knight Management was very much a part of her, ever since she was a child.

Cam continued speaking, "It's such a shame that you're losing it to Fulton because of a scandal. I just can't believe that James let himself get caught...wait, how did it happen again?" It was as if Camille had lit a lightbulb because it caused Katie to gasp, standing up again. Camille stood up with her, "Did I say something?"

Katie snapped her finger, and took up Cam's previous pacing, "I never asked him how he got caught. Who would know about this to inform James' old manager?" She turned to look at Camille with a wild look in her eyes, "It was a setup! I can't believe I didn't see it before." Katie stormed out of her study to talk the guys, Cam followed her.

"Guys!" Katie called as she stood in front of the t.v. screen.

All three men groaned in unison while still trying to play. "Katie!"

Katie clicked off the game and turned her attention to her brother and his friends. "This is important, did James ever tell you what happened with his old manager and his wife?"

They looked at each and shrugged, not seeing the importance of this issue, "Well, yeah."

Katie sat on her coffee table, "Quick, tell me everything."

Kendall, confused as to why his sister was so interested, told her. "James was a dinner party with some other hotshot celebrities when he met Larry's wife, they got really drunk, and you know," Kendall looked knowingly at his sister, "they got it on, in one of the nooks or crannies of the house. Someone had told Larry about their little escapade and he confronted James about it like the next day or something."

Katie slapped her hand on the table, startling all occupants in the room. "I knew it."

Carlos, frustrated with not knowing the complete story asked, "Knew what? Do you mind filling us in?"

Katie steeled her eyes at the guys, and Camille, who had sat down earlier. "This whole thing with James losing his manager and coming to find me, it was all a setup." She rolled her eyes at their blank faces before continuing, "Look, we all know that James is fairly..._open_ about his love life, but he has always had the decency to bring the women back to either his mansion or a hotel room, he never risks getting caught. And, how stupid would a person have to be to sleep with their husband's client when said husband is at that same party?"

Katie's audience suddenly started to comprehend and began to nod along, all except Logan, who always managed to see the negative side to explanations.

"Wait, what if it's just a coincidence? What if James really did have too much to drink and lost his better judgement? And maybe Larry's wife was really desperate?" Logan stated, holding up a hand.

Carlos frowned, shaking his head, "James can really hold his alcohol. The only thing that really knocks him out is Tequila, and he avoids that at any social event, after what happened that one time in Mexico."

Logan and Kendall remembered simultaneously, "Oh, yeah."

Carlos continued, "James knows not to drink excessively during business interactions."

Katie nodded, "Exactly. Where was this dinner party?"

Kendall frowned as well, looking seriously at his sister. "It was at Chris White's place."

Katie let out a shaky breath, crossing her arms, "His agent."

* * *

><p>AN: I'm so sorry about the anti-climatic storyline with Jack and Katie, originally I had planned something much more extensive, but I figured I already dragged on the Jatie plotline long enough and they really didn't need another obstacle.

I'll also be announcing something pretty big regarding HM in either the next chapter or the one after, so keep an eye out for it! ;)

Please continue to leave your comments! I get so excited every time I get an email alert.

Love,

D


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Oh geez, for some reason I thought I was going to get this chapter up a lot sooner.

Thank you to all who are still leaving beautiful reviews and continuing to favourite and have this story on alert!

Disclaimer: Big Time Rush does not belong to me

* * *

><p>Logan stood up. "So James' agent plots with Fulton to bring you down? Why?"<p>

Camille sighed aggressively, "Isn't it obvious? White probably teamed up with Fulton because he wants a better deal to come out of James' contract with him, either that, or Fulton is offering him one heck of a sweet bonus cheque. He probably contacted Fulton and concocted this whole plan. White knows every detail of James' life, he probably told Fulton about James' and Katie's history and Fulton is using the opportunity to bring Katie down." Katie and the guys stared at Camille with looks of amazement, causing her to sigh again, "I work on a drama series. I've kind of picked up how the writers think."

"This is despicable," Carlos muttered. "We have to tell James."

Kendall shook his head, "We can't. Not yet."

"Kendall's right," Katie added, "if we tell James, he'll want to fire White immediately, which means that he has to pay White in compensations, and White will probably still get whatever it is that he's getting from Fulton. We have to find a way to stop both Fulton and White."

"Well, we can't just let them get away with this."

Katie and Kendall smirked knowingly at each other, "They're not."

Logan groaned, pinching his eyes together, "Oh no, this is going to be another Knight scheme, isn't it?"

Carlos grinned and clapped his hands together, "Okay, what's the plan?"

The five occupants of the room sat in silence as they contemplated how to bring down both Fulton and White. Luckily, Katie was the queen of scheming, she snapped her fingers, causing the others to jump out of their stupors. "I've got it," Katie crossed her arms and the boys once again caught a glimpse of Katie's devious plotting face. "Logan, you can still hack into any computer system, right?"

"Well, yeah, as long as I have access to their mainframe...wait, a minute," Logan pointed a finger at her, "you do realize that this is illegal, right? We'd be breaking about fifty laws."

Carlos yelled indignantly, "Come on, Logan! This is Katie and James we're saving."

Logan sat fuming, but quickly caved under his best friends' and his girlfriend's stares. He threw his hands up, "Fine. What do you want me to look for?"

Katie smirked, "Come, you're going to need to access my computer." She got up and headed to her study, expecting Logan to follow her. She yelled over her shoulder, "You guys need to think of a way to bring down White while we're doing this!"

Hearing the younger Knight sibling's request, Cam and Carlos turned to look at Kendall. "Oh, what? Now I'm in charge of the planning?" Kendall widened his eyes as the other two nodded.

A short while later, Katie emerged from the study to find her brother and their friends, sitting around, frustrated with the inability to come up with anything. She caught Kendall sending a text to someone with Cam's phone.

Kendall perked up when he saw his sister's return, sliding the phone into his pocket. "Well? Did you find anything?"

Katie shook her head, "It's probably going to take all night, but if we do find what I think we will find, I've got Fulton right where I want him."

Carlos gave Kendall a quizzical look, which he returned with a shrug. "So that's good. We couldn't come up with anything," he slumped back onto the couch.

Carlos kicked a potted plant, "Ugh, he's going to get away with sabotaging James!" Katie widened her eyes at Carlos' outburst, causing him to smile apologetically at her. "Sorry."

Katie shook her head, coming up with an idea, "No. Carlos, you just gave me a perfect idea of how to get White to confess."

Kendall, Carlos and Camille turned their ears at her, intrigued, "Go on."

Katie smirked again, but Logan's triumphant cry from her study distracted her.

"Katie, I found it," Logan grinned, sticking his head out of her study.

"Perfect. Fulton, you're going down!" Katie stated to no one in particular.

* * *

><p>Katie drove Kendall to the airport the next day. Having said goodbye to the others the previous night, only the Knight siblings were left with each other.<p>

They were early for his flight, and decided to grab one last cup of coffee before having to split up for an indefinite amount of time.

Katie pulled out her gift for Kendall, a hokey tourist mug with "Kiss me, I was in L.A." written across it. They had always presented each other with ridiculous gifts that oozed tourist bait, whenever they visited each other in their respective cities. Katie had a good amount of Minnesota gear piled up in her condo.

Kendall laughed and pulled Katie into a side hug.

Katie giggled along with him, and just rested her head against his shoulder while they watched frantic travellers try to reach their gates on time.

"So, are you going to tell me what you and James talked about?" Katie asked, raising her head.

Kendall sighed, leaning forward, playing with the cup of coffee in his hands. He turned his head towards his sister before speaking. "I never thought that I would actually have this conversation with you." He sat up straight, "Nor did I think that I would say what I'm about to say. I don't know what's really going between you and James, but, I think that you and he really need to talk."

Katie slumped back in her seat, "I know, and we will talk, it's just I gotta clear everything with Fulton, first, and then I'll work on repairing my friendship with James."

Kendall shook his head, "That's just it, Katie. I don't think you and James can be friends. I've known you all your life and I've known James pretty much my whole life, and when I see the pain that you guys go through without each other, it makes me feel like crap. My point is, Katie, that you guys...are good together. You've mentioned time and time again that you don't want to risk all of our friendships to try and be together with him, but I'm just not that selfish, I don't think any of us are that selfish. No matter what the outcome is with you two, I don't think any of us would break ties with one another; we're family. And Katie, you shouldn't be so pessimistic when it comes to the idea of love. You're young, if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work out, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try."

"What are you saying, Kendall?" Katie asked, skeptical, thinking that there may be a possibility that she was dreaming.

Kendall sighed, "If you want to be with James, don't let your fear get in the way. Granted, I'm probably not going to be jumping up and down at the news, but give me time, and I'll learn to accept the idea...maybe. But, I don't want to be the reason why my baby sister and my best friend aren't happy."

Katie bit her lip before asking again, "Kendall, what did you and James talk about?"

Kendall stood up and threw his empty cup into the recycling bin. "Sorry, it's not my place to say. Now, come on, walk me to security check." Katie sighed but followed him. Kendall continued speaking, "Now, are you sure you got the Fulton and White thing under control?"

Katie nodded, "Yeah, everything's all set. I had Mags call Fulton and White to arrange a meeting for next week."

"Okay, good." Kendall held out his arms and looked at Katie expectantly, "One for the road?"

Katie dove into his hug immediately. She felt him wrap his arms around her, and kiss the top of her head.

"Love you, baby sister," Kendall whispered.

"Love you, too, big brother," Katie whispered back.

They stayed in the embrace for a short moment, before Kendall heard the announcement of his flight. He slowly released Katie from his grasp.

"Well, that's me." He pulled his carry-on onto his shoulder. "You think about what I said, okay?"

Katie nodded, "I promise."

Kendall gave her a small smile, "Good. I'll call you when I'm home."

"Okay," Katie answered before watching her brother turn and hand his ticket to security. They gave a final wave to each other before Kendall disappeared from view.

* * *

><p>Katie spent the weekend playing poker with Carlos, Camille and Logan, while simultaneously gnawing her lip to death, worrying about the showdown with Fulton and White.<p>

"Katie-cakes, relax. We've totally got this," Carlos stated, trying to reassure her.

"How can you be so chill about this?" Katie asked. "If we don't get this, mine and James' career are in the toilet," she exaggerated.

"Katie, calm down. Carlos is right, we've got this," Logan inputted, before raising the stakes. "Well, we've got it, as long as this one," he nodded with head in Carlos' direction, "is able to put on a believable performance."

Carlos matched Logan's gamble before retorting, "Hey, let me remind you who has a movie deal in the works."

Camille sighed, "I fold. I don't even know why I bother, it's not like I know how to play. Also, they're right, Katie. I think we've got those bastards right where we want them."

Katie nodded, "Okay, you guys are right." She studied her cards, "I'll match your bet, and raise it five blue ones."

Logan and Carlos looked at their cards and then back at Katie before sighing. "We fold."

Katie grinned and reaped her reward. "Thank you, boys."

"You had nothing, didn't you?" Logan asked, getting up to refill his drink.

Katie giggled and nodded. She got up as well, only to grab some literature on possible vacation destinations.

Carlos, pointed at the various brochures, "You're still going on vacation? Even if we beat Fulton? Why? I mean it's not like you have to run away from L.A. or something. Ow!" Carlos grabbed his foot after Camille had stomped on it, looking pointedly at him.

Katie remained silent, trying to ignore the others' gazes upon her.

Cam and Carlos pushed Logan forward, making him spill some of his drink on his shirt. "Aw, come on." He sighed, before taking a seat beside Katie. "Look, Katie, I know I really have no business to discuss this with you, but don't you think you should go and talk to James?"

Katie squirmed, still absentmindedly skimming through the leaflet, "He seems busy. I'll talk to him when the timing is right."

Carlos slapped his forehead, "He's free right now! James finally came out of his office and is working on something with Gustavo. You can probably catch him tonight and talk about that kiss and whatever!"

Katie rolled her eyes and stood up, "Look, I have more important things to worry about than my problems with James. It's probably not the best time to talk about this, don't you agree?"

Camille, Carlos and Logan exchanged looks, before nodding slowly, giving up on their argument.

"Thank you. Now if you will excuse me, I have some work to do before I leave." Katie said, walking into her study. She stopped right at the door, turning to Logan, "Don't you have to go and pack? You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?"

"I'm already packed," Logan grinned, proud of his efficiency. "All I have to do now is go back to Baltimore and pack everything there to come back here."

"So, are you guys like moving into James' mansion permanently?" Katie wondered, flicking her finger between Carlos and Logan.

"No!" Both yelled in unison.

Carlos crossed his arms, "I'm starting to look for a place of my own," he huffed.

Katie mimicked his posture, and rolled her eyes, knowing that the Latino hadn't even begun the search.

Logan coughed into a fist before mumbling, "I'm, uh, I'm moving in with Camille."

Katie's eyes bugged out, while Carlos jumped on Logan and ruffled his hair, crying out, "Sweet!"

"You guys are living together? After two weeks? What happened to the 'lay low for a little while' thing?"

"Well, it won't be right away. It's going to take a month or so before he moves out here. He has to finish classes and tests or whatever, and then he'll stay with James for a couple of weeks, and then, he moves in with me." Cam raised her hands, explaining things to Katie. "Besides," Camille gave Katie a soft smile, glancing at Logan, "we're ready for this."

Katie sighed, before hugging the both of them, "You know I'm happy for you, right?"

Carlos joined the group hug, "Aw, this is so nice."

Katie giggled, pulling away. "Hey, Carlos. Why don't you stay here while I'm on vacation? You could house-sit for me. I don't have my own pool or hot tub, but you could definitely raid my comic books and play all the video games you want."

Carlos' eyes lit up, "Really?" He pulled Katie in for another squeeze, "You're the best, Katie-cakes!"

"Okay, I really do need to work. You guys can call for take-out, just don't bother me with any inane conversations," Katie said, looking pointedly at her guests.

All of them raised their hands, "Got it."

* * *

><p>AN: So, as I said, I have an announcement to make about HM. Hollywood Management has been my most successful story to date, thanks to all of you, but like all stories it is winding to an end. However, after some consideration, I've decided to write companion pieces to HM that will cover the back stories of the other characters of HM. Originally, I was going to have the back stories added into HM, but I think it would much more interesting and detailed if I gave each back story a spin-off.

So, that's my big announcement! I hope to hear what you readers have to think about my idea, and about this chapter of course!

Love,

D

Fun Fact: Bev's character wasn't suppose to exist. I was going to have Britney return, but her character seemed too annoying, and I thought it would much more interesting to have a character that is likeable but causes a rift between James and Katie.

P.S. I'm so proud of BTR for winning the blimp, tonight! They deserved it so much.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Hi readers! Again, no excuse really for the delay...I have the whole story written out, I just wanted to let it sit for a little while in case I wanted to change anything. But here is the next installment! Oh, also, I'm not quite sure what happened last week when I updated but there were some issues with accessing the chapter, so my apologies.

Thank you all again for leaving your comments! Normally, I would thank some of you personally, but I'm in the middle of something better to thank you with than just a quick shoutout (keep your eyes peeled) ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own BTR

* * *

><p>"There, you look perfect," Katie said as she straightened out Carlos' tie. She looked up at him, "You remember what to do, right?"<p>

Carlos grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "Yep. Are you ready?"

Katie steeled her shoulders, "Absolutely."

Mags stuck her head into Katie's office. "Did you guys need anything else before they come?"

Katie shook her head, grateful for her friend's willing attitude to join her in any conspiracy. "I think we're okay, Mags, thanks."

"Okay, holler if you need."

Katie looked at the clock before turning back to Carlos. "White should be here at any moment. Do we need to go over anything else?"

Carlos grabbed Katie's shoulders, "Katie-cakes, we've rehearsed this like a thousand times."

Katie let out a breath, nodding, "Right, okay. I'm just going to check to see if the cameras are working one more ti−"

She was interrupted by Magdalene's page. "Ms. Knight? Mr. White is here for your meeting."

Katie looked at Carlos, "Show time." She answered Mags' page, "Let him in, please."

The door to Katie's office opened a few seconds later. Katie put on her most charismatic smile when she saw the dark haired man walk in. She came around her desk and held out her hand.

"Mr. White, it's so nice to finally meet you."

Chris White shook her hand firmly, flashing her a brilliant smile. "Me too. I've heard so much about you from James, it's like we're family," he turned to look at Carlos. "Carlos! What a pleasant surprise."

Katie watched as Carlos grasped the man's hand, smiling pleasantly, "Chris, great to see you, man. It's been too long."

Carlos had mentioned that he had met White a couple of years back, before he jetsetted across the globe, at one of James' parties, his notion of White was vague at most.

"Very true."

"So what do I owe for this meeting?" White asked, as he sat in one of the seats that Katie gestured to.

Katie continued smiling, "Well, I've been James' manager for a couple of weeks now, I felt it was time that I meet his wingman, don't you agree?"

White chuckled, "Yes, of course. But, don't you think that James should be here for this meeting?"

Katie eased the panic that bubbled up inside her quickly, before resuming the conversation. "I tried to get him to leave the studio to meet with us, but you know him! He gets so wrapped up in the recording process once he's in the zone."

Carlos nodded for emphasis.

"Of course, of course. James can be real hardheaded sometimes. And what about Carlos? What are you doing here? I assume it's not to simply reminisce over old times, we should be doing that over a couple of beers, don't you think?" White winked roguishly at Carlos.

Carlos and Katie let out awkward laughs at White's lame attempt at a joke. Carlos cleared his throat.

"Truthfully, Chris, I'm starting up my acting career, soon, and I'm in desperate need of an agent. Katie here is going to manage me, so we we're thinking that you could me out. I mean we are practically family," Carlos added, trying to win White over with his personality.

Katie read the emotions that passed in White's eye and took that as her cue. She abruptly stood up, "Oh, where are my manners? I'm just going to pop out and get you something to drink. My assistant is pretty absentminded when it comes to these things. You two keep on discussing, I'll be right back. Coffee is good, right?"

White nodded, "Yes, thank you."

She looked pointedly at Carlos, before leaving the room. Katie stood outside the door, which she left slightly ajar to hear the conversation. Mags readily joined her. They could see White adjust his posture in his seat.

"So, what do you think, Chris? Are you able to help a buddy out?" Carlos asked, looking sheepish.

White sighed dramatically, "Look, Carlos, it's not that I don't want to help you, but, I'm going to be frank here, my going rate is pretty high right now. I'm just not sure that someone who is starting out in the industry can afford me."

Carlos leaned back, "Try me."

"I take twenty percent of my client's earnings," White immediately answered.

Katie scowled, knowing that White was trying to dupe Carlos just because he was new in the business. Luckily, Carlos was better at hiding his emotions than Katie.

"That seems reasonable. You do find me gigs and stuff, right?"

"Right, right. Yeah, it's just I prefer to take on clients that I know are going to be working full-time, all the time, you know the drill, and with you being so hot off the press, well..." he trailed off. He leaned in, "Look, I like you, Carlos, but realistically you're not doing yourself justice by teaming up with Knight Management."

"What do you mean? James is with this company." Carlos asked, confusion written across his face.

White stood up, causing Katie to lean back against the wall, so that he wouldn't be able to see her shadow by the door. "Listen, I know that Katie is like a little sister to you boys, but I happen to know that this company isn't going to be around much longer." He turned to look at Carlos, hand in his pocket, "If I were you, I'd leave Knight Management, before you go down with it. I personally know a lot of directors who think that a weak management calls for a weak actor. As for James, well he stayed in the industry this whole time, he can bounce back from a scandal like this, no problem."

Katie watched as Carlos studied his hands, before solemnly looking up at White, "What do I have to do? I mean, I love Katie, but if she's not going to survive, well, it's every man for himself, right?"

Katie felt the sting that came with his words, but reminded herself that it was all part of the plan. After calming down and remembering that what Carlos said wasn't true, she wanted to run in and congratulate him on his acting skills, she didn't know that he would be _this_ good at acting.

White chuckled, "You're absolutely right, Carlos. It is every man for himself. Listen, I happen to know some established people at FMA who might be willing to manage a talent such as yourself."

That was Katie's cue. She nodded once to Mags before entering her office again with a stoic look upon her face.

"Katie..." Carlos greeted her with a guilty look, before clearing his throat to smile.

Katie maintained her hardened stare. "Carlos."

White looked questioningly at her empty hands and her expression. "Is there something the matter?"

Katie sat in her seat and took a deep breath. "I'm afraid there is, Mr. White." Katie hoped her tone was convincing in setting a foreboding atmosphere. "I've just heard the announcement about the Ponzi scheme at FMA. The company is in great deficit, to the point of bankruptcy in fact, and Mr. Fulton is nowhere to be found. It's all over the news."

White's face slowly likened to his namesake.

"But, isn't that a good thing for you, Katie? One of your biggest competitors is now−"

Katie interrupted Carlos, "I haven't finished," she let out an audible breath, "Fulton blames everything on Mr. White. The logistics, the recruit of investors, everything."

White widened his eyes, "But, that's impossible. I'm...I'm...I'm not even part of his company!" He stuttered.

Carlos stood up in complete outrage, "You're behind all this? No wonder, you wanted me to join FMA! You dirty son-of-a-bitch!"

Katie shook her head slightly, trying to communicate with Carlos to tone it down. Carlos got the hint and sat down fuming, crossing his arms.

Katie sighed again, "I'm sorry, Mr. White. I have to call the authorities, this is a serious legal matter that I simply can't ignore."

"What?" White stood up, "I'm innocent! This was all Fulton's idea. He paid me to keep silent about the accounting, he's the one who has been manipulating the numbers!"

Katie bit back a grin, and tried to calm White down, "I don't follow, Mr. White, what are you saying? Tell us from the beginning, maybe we can help you."

White shuddered, flopping back into the seat, holding his head. "It was an accident, it was all an accident. James had taken me up to FMA one day to speak to Larry about a project, and Larry asked me to look at his computer. I have a background in Information Technology and he wanted to get rid of a virus without having to wait for the IT guys to come up and fix it for him. In the computer, I had access to the company's mainframe, and I stumbled upon Fulton's accountings. I went home to further study the program because there was something cryptic about it, and I was right. Fulton, or someone, had encrypted the regular accounting program with another program that distorted the accounting figures of the company. After a week or so, I managed to calculate all of the monies that Fulton was manipulating and I copied all the information I had, keeping a backup on my hard drive, and went to confront him about it."

"Why didn't you take it to the police?" Katie asked, curious.

White looked up at her, resting his chin on his knuckles, "I didn't go to the police, because I owe people a lot of money. I thought that this was my opportunity to make some extra cash, and I was right. Fulton had agreed to giving me a percentage of his 'profit' if I remained silent. But, there was one other thing," White swept back his hair with one hand, moving back to sitting up straight. "Fulton only agreed to let me in, if I would do a little something for him."

Katie threw a sideways glance at Carlos before continuing to question White. "Why did he bargain with you if you had the upper hand? That doesn't make sense."

White groaned, "I know, but he said that if I handed him in, he would tell the authorities about my illegal hacking of his files. I figured doing him a favour would keep me out of jail and get me some money, so I agreed. Turns out he wanted me to help him destroy your company."

Katie waited for him to continue.

White looked Katie straight in the eye as he recounted his story. "Look, I really don't have anything against you, but I was desperate...you have to understand. Fulton already knew about the relationship that you had with James, but he didn't know how close you were with him. He wanted me to use James' connection with you to ruin your company, so I did. I had to find a way for Larry to drop James and I knew that one of James' weaknesses was his inability to keep his dick in his pants. Sorry to be vulgar," he added, seeing the distaste on Katie's face at his choice of words. "Larry's wife is infamously known to all about wanting to bed James, all except James and Larry. Up until that night, James had never even met Larry's 'better half.' I purposely spiked James' drink at the party with tequila and nudged the missis into his direction. I later sent Larry after them to catch them redhanded, knowing that he would want to destroy James, so I calmed him down and merely suggested that he drop James as a client. I'm fairly certain he would have exposed James, but Fulton managed to keep him quiet."

Katie prompted him to continue, wanting to catch every detail of the plan. "Why does ruining James' career have anything to do with me?"

"James actually didn't care for a while; he assumed that Kelly would manage him while he was recording, but I told him that he really needed to focus on his acting career and he needed a real manager for that. Fulton made it seem that he couldn't hire anyone from FMA anymore so he was at a dead end. I had to remind James about you, but he was really reluctant to reach out to you, something about him not wanting you to learn about his past. I told him that having someone that he really knows and likes as a manager was probably more effective than having a complete stranger, so in the end, he finally agreed. And well, I think you know the rest."

Katie finally stood up, her ire getting the best of her. She placed both her hands on her desk and spoke calmly, "You mean to tell me, that you were okay with destroying my business, when you don't even know me? Even worse, you were willing to bring down James when he had done absolutely nothing but help you get to where you are now? Do you realize what kind of lowlife that makes you?" She leaned forward, eyes narrowed, and hissed, "You make me sick."

"Look," White trembled, "I didn't want to, it's just Fulton−"

"Fulton didn't hold a gun to your head, did he? You _chose_ to do it, and all for money," Carlos stood up to point out, seething.

White gulped audibly.

Katie looked down to her phone and saw that Mags was paging her. "Hello? Alright, let him in."

Katie sat back down and crossed her legs, waiting for her next guest to make an appearance.

Carlos walked over to the couch and sat down, waiting for the drama to unfold.

Magdalene opened the door and gestured for Fulton to go in. Katie gave a slight nod to Mags before she closed the door behind him.

Fulton surveyed the occupants of the room carefully, before plastering a smile on his face. The second that White saw who entered, he stood up and started to point erratically at Fulton.

"You! It was you! You did this to me! I had nothing to do with your Ponzi scheme, why did you blame me? Why? It was all you! You were manipulating the numbers long before I came around. You asshole! I'll get you for this, Fulton!" White shouted, gasping for breath after he finished ranting.

Katie raised an eyebrow from her seat, unable to believe that White was such a cowardly man, who apparently wasn't very intelligent. She did not anticipate for her plan to work so well, but it seemed that White had little integrity.

Fulton cleared his throat, "Mr. White, I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Bullshit! Bullshit! You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm telling you now, Fulton," White pointed to himself, huffing through his nose, "I'm not going to take the fall for you. I owe you nothing. If I'm going down, you're going down with me."

Fulton looked over at Katie, "Ms. Knight, your guest seems to be a bit...upset."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." She smiled sweetly at Fulton.

Fulton dropped his smile. "What is the meaning of this, Ms. Knight? I didn't expect to come here and be insulted by a madman's lies for your entertainment."

Katie remained in her seat, collective as ever. She pretended to contemplate for a little while, "You're right. You came here to take my company. I'm sorry to say, today just isn't your lucky day. This 'madman' has just told me a lovely story about how you and he conspired to destroy my company. Oh," Katie feigned remembrance, "and how could I forget all that he told me about your...financial endeavours."

Fulton sat down cooly, across from Katie. White had taken to pacing the floor behind them, shooting Fulton evil glares every few steps.

"Whatever you have planned, Ms. Knight, it's not going to work."

"Oh, but it is." Katie countered, maintaining her strong disposition, "You see, I have cameras installed all around this room, audio and visual, that proves whatever I have to say against you."

Fulton smirked, "You really think that they will believe the words of a lunatic over me? Are you forgetting who I am, Ms. Knight? I'm Paul Fulton. I run half this town, including you and your pathetic excuse of a company."

Katie drew in a breath, "Hmm, that may be true, but I think the Fed's will be really interested to find what's on White's hard drive." She shrugged before adding sarcastically, "Personally, I don't understand why a management corporation needs investors, but then again, I'm just a 'pathetic excuse of a company,' what do I know."

Fulton whipped his head around to look at White. "How is that possible? I took everything from you and you told me you gave me everything."

White opened his arms wide and answered Fulton with a maniacal look in his eyes, "I lied! I kept an external hard drive in a safety deposit box."

Katie could hear Carlos stifling giggles from the couch.

Fulton turned back around, Katie watched quietly as he calculated his current dilemma. He raised his gaze to hers. "You think you've won, Ms. Knight, but there's no proof that it was me."

Katie nodded, "True, but you're forgetting that this happened all under your precious FMA. Even if I didn't manage to place you behind everything, I did manage to catch your company." Katie heard voices coming from the lobby. "Oh," she stood up and grinned down at Fulton, "perfect timing."

Mags opened the door and in walked a small group of officers, ready to detain Fulton and White.

"Thank you, gentlemen, I believe that this has been a most productive meeting," Katie smirked.

Carlos laughed, standing up to join her.

Fulton was dragged up and cuffed. "I'll get you back for this. One day."

Katie scoffed, "Please, you'll be in prison for a good hundred and fifty years. I think I'll be okay."

Katie, Mags and Carlos stood in the office, waving to an outraged Fulton and a struggling White when they were escorted out of her office.

* * *

><p>Well, that's that! Also, I realize that this is yet another chapter without James, but don't worry, there will be oodles of fluff yet to come very soon, I promise!<p>

As always, please leave a review and tell me what you think!

To those who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter!

Much love,

D

Fun Fact: Originally, White was not a villain, but after rereading the story, I realized that I wrote him out to be one, so here we are.

P.S. Who's excited for Season 3? I know I am!


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: We're definitely at the winding down of this story! This is the last "official" chapter of the story.

Thank you SO much for your reception of the last chapter! All of your comments have made me ridiculously happy because your feelings of victory show me how insanely invested you readers are. Thank you!

Without further adieu...

Disclaimer: BTR still isn't mine

* * *

><p>Katie spent the next few days cleaning up her apartment to make it liveable for Carlos as well as tidying up everything at the office.<p>

She had made a few calls to her clients and informed them of her indefinite vacation that she was taking. Russell was more than thrilled that Katie was doing this for herself. She thanked him for standing behind her this entire time, and mentioned the possible projects that he might want to take on, now that _he_ was finished with his vacation. Katie's conversation with Marka was much more clipped. Marka would be busy with the upcoming film and Katie would have either Jack or Laura find more work for her. Katie felt fortunate that the phone calls only consisted of that message and not one that included news about Knight Management being taken over by FMA.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had taken Chris White's hard drive and were currently investigating everything that FMA was hiding. Paul Fulton's assets were currently frozen with no opportunity of bail. With all the embezzlement that Fulton had done, rightfully, no one was willing to help him out. Knight Management would survive.

"So have you talked to James, yet?" Camille asked from the couch while Katie was sorting out her paperwork at her office.

"No, I told you, I have to concentrate on cleaning everything up at the office before I can do anything else."

Cam sighed, standing up. "Yeah, and isn't James one of your clients? Shouldn't you inform him of what's going on? The guy did lose his agent and he probably has no clue."

Katie slumped into her seat and gave Cam a sheepish look, "I should probably go talk to him, right?"

Camille nodded.

Katie relented, "Okay, I'll go talk to him...tomorrow, maybe. I have to see if I have everything under control here. Are you sure you'll be okay without me?"

"Yes! Jack and I hit it off great, we're going to be fine. So, have you decided where you're going to go yet?"

Katie smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I'm going to be touring Europe for a little while, then I'm hoping to hit New York for a bit before going to Minnesota to visit my mom. There might be some other stops, I'm just not sure yet. Maybe Australia? Asia?"

Cam gave an excited squeal. "Take lots of pictures!"

"Of course. Oh, that reminds me, I have to get Carlos to show me how to do that quick upload thing, assuming he knows...maybe I should call Logan..."

"Call Logan, in fact, you should call him right now."

Katie smirked, "You just want to talk to your boyfriend."

"I can't help it. I miss him already."

Katie missed her brother and Logan, she had definitely felt the misery that came with their departure this visit, only because they all hadn't been in the same city for a number of years and it felt like reminiscent of the time the band broke up. Though Katie was upset that Logan left, she knew that he would be returning soon, and that lifted her spirits, as well as the fact that she did not need to bring up the fact that she had him hack into FMA's accounts to the FBI; she would have felt guilty for the rest of her life if Logan got into trouble for helping her out.

Katie shook her head, amused by her friend's lovestruck behaviour. "You can call him later, but now, I really need to get back to work! So sit there and keep mum!"

"Alright, but hurry up, I want to try out that new Thai place everyone is talking about. And, don't say that I can leave now without you, Logan has me on Katie-food-patrol, so we're going together," Cam said as she returned to the couch.

"Fine. I'll be quick," Katie rolled her eyes at her friend's impatience. "And you can tell Logan that you don't have to baby-sit me. I've been using his charting system and eating right. Besides, who's going to watch me while I'm on vacation?"

Cam quirked her eyebrow, "Don't even say that. Knowing all of them," she referred to the former members of Big Time Rush, "they'd follow you in a heartbeat."

Katie stopped what she was doing to consider Camille's answer. "You're so right."

* * *

><p>Katie woke up on Friday morning to a nonstop buzzing from her phone. She blindly reached for it on her nightstand, struggling to open her eyes.<p>

"Ugh, hello?"

"Katie! Have you seen it!" Camille's voice squawked over the phone, definitely rousing Katie from her slumber.

"Seen what, Cam?" Katie yawned, getting up to start her coffeemaker.

"_Pop Tiger_'s latest issue!"

"Cam, I haven't read that magazine in years. What's so important about this issue?"

Camille squealed. "Just go get it! Now!"

"Cam, I'm in my pyjamas."

"Now, Katie!" Katie's friend yelled, before hanging up, leaving Katie to stare bewilderedly at her phone.

Katie quickly freshened up, grabbed her travel mug of coffee and headed downstairs. She made a pitstop to the nearest variety stand to pick up the magazine, before heading to the garage for the car.

Katie took a gulp of coffee and brought the magazine up to look at the cover. Katie spat out her drink and starting choking, unable to believe the headline of the magazine: _James Diamond Confesses All About Love_. She quickly flipped to the article inside the magazine, uncaring about the fact that she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk or the fact that she handed her coffee to a passing pedestrian.

She began reading:

_Dear Readers,_

_I know it's strange to see me write for **Pop Tiger**, something I haven't done in the past, just because some of my material is geared for an older audience now. But, I felt it is necessary to bring it back to where it all began. I've been asked many times how does it feel to fall in love, and the truth is, I've never been in love. At least, I didn't think that I was in love._

_As I'm sure you are all aware, I've been in many relationships. Now, I'm not trying to say that I never loved the women I have been with, because I did, truly. My relationships with these people will always be memorable to me because they have taught me valuable lessons from which I hope I will retain for the rest of my life. And yes, I do mean valuable, for the guys who are reading this, take note: it is always important to remember everything your girlfriend tells you. Everything._

_I digress. The point of this letter is to tell you, the readers, how and when I figured out I was, scratch that, **am** in love. I'm sure all of us are aware of the typical rom-com story that Hollywood sells, but it sells for a reason-it's all true. I remember watching movies like **She's the Dude**, **Bring It Up**, **Asking for Marriage**, and thinking, who buys these story-lines? Nobody ever falls in love with people over bonding, nobody falls in love **ever**!_

_Boy, was I wrong. I remember hating the movies that told the stories of how friends became lovers in the timespan of an hour and half, because I am a big believer in the friend-zone and the boyfriend-zone; once you're in one, you can't get out. It's been my motto for almost two decades, and I would probably still be walking around chanting it, if it weren't for the fact that I have disproved my hypothesis (yes, I know what this means) by falling in love with one of my best friends._

_Now here's the thing, she doesn't know I'm in love with her. **I** didn't know I was in love with her until I sat down and started writing this thing. But now that I know, let me tell you, it's the greatest feeling in the world. You're probably all wondering, how does serial-dater James Diamond know he's in love if he's never been in love? Well, I can honestly tell you, it wasn't easy._

_You just have to think back on the little things. It's not always about how that person makes you want to errr...make-out with them constantly, granted, that's always a good time. But, it's definitely more than that. It's how that person is always on your mind, even when you specifically tell your brain to stop thinking about them. It's how you're happy whenever she's happy. It's how you would to go to the ends of the earth for her if she asked without any questions. It's how you always want to hear her laugh, make her smile and chase all the bad things away. It's how you wish that she was the last person you go to sleep to, and the first person you wake up to._

_Being in love isn't only about her though, it's also about you. How she makes you want to be a better person, how she makes your day seem ten times better when you know you're going to see her. It's how she gets on your last nerve, but you forgive her anyway because it's her. It's how she knows exactly what to say when you're feeling down, or listens to you speak when no one else will. It's how she always does things for you, even if she hates it._

_I know, I probably sound like a total mushball right now, but I have to use the opportunity to tell you what being in love really is about because it's worth it, if you just give yourself the chance. There's going to be good times and there's definitely going to be bad times, but in the end, if you stick together, you know she's the one._

_I've definitely found my One. I found her the day she was born (which I know sounds totally creepy, but hear me out before you start judging). At first, she was just my best friend's baby sister, the one that always annoyed me by tagging along to everything we did. Actually, really, I didn't even notice that she was a girl until I found out that she read **Pop Tiger** because her celeb crush was featured in it (this is why I decided to publish in **PT**).Then she was my best friend's kid sister that I would protect as my own when I sensed something was wrong. Then she became that person that I respected because she proved she could pull her own weight. Then she became my friend when she would support me to reach all of my goals (even if she did have her own personal agenda). Then she was my family because I couldn't ever imagine my life without her. She became the person I loved when I realized that our history together is the reason that I'm in love with her. She's the one that I compare all other girls to._

_So, if **you** are reading this, I love you. I don't know when and how it started, but I do. Give me a chance, give **us** a chance. You don't have to be afraid. We may not be perfect for each other, but I promise, I will do anything to keep you by my side._

_Well, that's all I have to say for now._

_Peace,_

_James Diamond_

When Katie finished reading, she pulled the magazine to her chest. She couldn't believe what she had just read, James Diamond, idiot extraordinaire, multitalented, beautiful man, was in love with her. With her heart pounding wildly, she ran for her car to look for the man that she could now say freely, she was in love with.

Shaking her head, Katie thought to herself that she wasn't normally one to wait around, always moving forward until she got what she wanted. In the case of feelings and emotions, however, she was unconsciously waiting for something to tell her that she was alright, and that something turned out to be James' letter to her. Thinking back to what everyone had been telling her as of late, Katie finally accepted that she was running away from her feelings. However, she wasn't anymore, James was right, she didn't have to be afraid, no matter what happens, she had to give them a chance. He wasn't exactly what she was looking for, but Katie knew that James was the one that she probably needed.

* * *

><p>Katie made her way into Rocque Records, her heart still threatening to beat out of her chest. She walked into the recording room and smiled with wide eyes when the man she loved caught sight of her.<p>

She could see Kelly nudge Gustavo out of the corner of her eyes, all the while keeping her gaze on James.

Kelly placed a hand on Katie's arm, "We'll leave you two alone." She winked before dragging her reluctant husband with her.

"Five minutes, we have work to finish," Gustavo grumbled, pointing to Katie before scampering off behind Kelly.

Katie grinned and walked into the recording booth.

"Katie? What are you doing here?" James asked, pulling off his headphones.

"I love your arms!" She blurts out.

James gave her a confused look.

She continued. "I love the way you smile and laugh. I love your eyes. I love the way you always try to touch me in some way. I love how you give a high pitched scream whenever you're scared."

James gave an indignant scoff. "I don't scream."

"Yes, you do. I love the way you grab your head whenever you're frustrated. I love the way you call me 'Katherine.' I love how you have a peculiar obsession with bandanas and man-spray, and that you think you're a superhero. I love how you're not afraid to dream big. I love the way you write." She held up the magazine for emphasis.

Katie watched as James became amused with her ranting.

"I even love the way you talk to yourself in the mirror!"

James gave her a skeptical look, "Really?"

"No. You're just crazy," Katie answered, deadpanned.

"Oh."

Katie sighed, stepping close to him to look into his hazel eyes. "What I'm trying to say is, I think I'm in love with you, too."

James beamed down at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Think?"

Katie grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling his head down. "Okay," she whispered, "I know I'm in love with you, too. Happy?"

"Very."

"Kiss me, you idiot."

James leaned down and closed the gap between their identical smiles. This kiss was more passionate, more real and freeing than any other they had previously shared because this time, they knew that a beginning was starting for them.

Katie pulled away, but stayed in his arms, gasping for breath.

He leaned his forehead down so that it touched hers. "Does this mean you're giving us a chance?"

Katie giggled, "I know you're not the smartest cookie out there, but even I think you can figure this one out."

"I didn't want to be presumptuous."

Katie gave him an amused look, but didn't say anything.

James shrugged, "Kendall scutters his word-a-day calendar thing on ScutterBug." He looked meaningfully into Katie's eyes. "So?"

"Yes, you narcissistic fool, we're absolutely giving this a chance, but we're going to take this slow, okay?" She paused for a second before adding, "And, I'm sorry for the constant mixed-signals. But I'm ready, now, for us."

James beamed again nodding, before pecking Katie sweetly on the lips. "Katie, you don't know how happy this makes me. With you and me together, Fulton out of the picture...I don't think life can get any better."

"Wait," Katie looked up at him with confusion written on her face, "how'd you know about Fulton?"

"Kendall texted me that night that you guys were plotting."

Katie then remembered seeing Kendall secretly tucking away Camille's phone. "Why did he tell you? We decided that we weren't going to tell you in case you decided to go after Chris yourself."

James pulled away one arm from Katie to sweep his hair back. "That actually wasn't the complete article," he pointed to the magazine still in Katie's hands. "I initially wanted to expose my story with Larry's wife to the public, so that Fulton wouldn't have anything to hold against you, but Kendall told me to hold off that story, until he knew for sure what you guys were going to do."

Katie nodded in understanding, but frowned again, "Wait, how did Kendall know about your article?" Her eyes opened wide, when she made the connection, "Oh, this is when Kendall went into your study, right?"

James nodded. "Yeah, he came in, ready to beat the living daylight out of me, but he stopped when he took a good look at me. Now, you have to realize that I was working really hard on that article, and I was feeling really bummed about you not loving me, and I hadn't showered in a couple of days." James interrupted his own story, causing Katie to roll her eyes and gesture for him to get on with the story. "Anyway, I was looking like a hot mess. So Kendall sits down across from me and starts grilling me about what my intentions with you were."

Katie smirked, remembering a few similar predicaments, but one came quickly to mind. "You mean, like what you did to Kyle?"

"Yeah, but Kendall is much better at the whole big-brother-scaring-the-boyfriend thing." James shuddered dramatically. "Well, I started telling him about everything that happened between us and how I had no idea how to act around you, 'cause every time I looked at you, I wanted to kiss you."

Katie snorted.

"What?" James questioned.

"Um, I clearly remember you dating Britney and Bev." Katie pointed out.

The tall man sighed in frustration. "I only went out on that date with Britney because I didn't know I was in love with you, yet. Do you know how awful it feels when all of a sudden you want to make-out with your best friend's younger sister but you can't do anything _because_ she's your best friend's younger sister? It feels terrible!" James voice raised in the familiar way whenever he got too emotional.

Katie bit her lip, "Okay, but what about Bev?"

James looked sheepishly at her, "This is going to sound so bad, but, I only asked Bev out because she reminded me so much of you. She was smart, and pretty, but she didn't have your eyes. And, just that morning, we established that we could only be friends. Worst decision we ever made, by the way," he added. "I figured dating her was going to be as close as I could get to dating you."

Katie bit back a grin, "Okay, I accept." She sighed, "So, what did you and Kendall talk about after the fact that you wanted to kiss me _all the time_?" She jokingly stressed.

"Well, he wasn't happy hearing that, let me tell you. But, I told him how it was more than that, Katie, I couldn't stand being away from you. Everything just made me think of you, I even wrote you a song−"

"You wrote me a song?" Katie asked, trying to quell her obvious enthusiasm.

"Yes, stop interrupting."

"Sorry."

"Then, I told him how I wanted to write the article about that incident, hoping that way, you would forgive me, even if you did break my heart."

Katie squirmed feeling uncomfortably guilt-ridden, causing James to smirk and pull her to him again. "Honestly? I also really wanted to write that article to save Knight Management. I know how important your company is to you. I mean, you started the company when you were ten! It was the least I could do for you, after all that you've done for me."

Katie, as much as she wanted to deny being the overly emotional type, felt her heart swell when she heard why James wanted to write the article. He didn't even care about ruining his chances at obtaining awards for his film. All for her.

It was one of those moments that she was glad that she had taken to wearing heels. She swiftly pulled him down for another kiss. She pulled back slowly, her eyes heavily-lidded. "You do much more for me than you realize."

James grinned, leaning in for another kiss, but, Katie pushed his mouth away with a finger. She stepped out of his arms, causing him to pout.

"Sorry, but I just really want you to finish the story, and you're never going to if we continue this."

James threw his arms up in frustration, but understood. He continued the story, "So, I told him my plan, and he just stares at me for like a good ten minutes, and have you ever been at the end of one of Kendall's stares? Not cool. I had no idea what he was thinking. Then, after the outrageously long stare, he asked me if I loved you."

"What did you say?" Katie asked, unaware of how obtuse she sounded. "Ow!" She grabbed her forehead after James flicked her. "Okay, got it. Go on."

"Well, that's when it really hit me, how much I do love you," James reached for her hands, pulling them into a gentle grasp. "You're probably the only person I know that can drive me up-the-wall crazy with your emotional mood-swings, but you're also the only person I would never be able to live without. That photo-album that I have of you? I couldn't bear to give it to you, 'cause it was the only way that I got to see you anymore. I thought it was only because I was proud of how hard you worked to get what you wanted, and I wanted you to have some sort of record of your modelling career." James let out a shaky breath, "I should have known I was in trouble when I couldn't take my eyes off you on your twenty-first birthday. It's why I got so drunk, to stop myself from throwing myself at you, consciously."

Katie was touched, but still had so many questions to ask him about his behaviour. "Why didn't you ever call me? We lived in the same freaking city for so many years, and you never called." She couldn't mask the hurt that came with that question; the question that she had asked herself over a dozen times.

"You never called me, either!" James proclaimed. "Look, Katie, I wanted to, but, every time I wanted to call you, I had no reason. And after a while, it just seemed weird. It's stupid, because we lived together for so long and we are definitely past the point of me just being one of Kendall's friends to you, but, I didn't want to come across as the creepy guy that thinks that the 'band's sister' is really hot. The media is definitely going to have a field-day when they think of how incestuous this is."

Katie slapped his chest playfully. "Don't put it that way. Besides," she ran a finger down his chest, "I'm not your little sister, am I?"

James gulped audibly, and gently pushed her away, squeaking out, "Story!"

Katie giggled, and waited for him to continue.

James frowned at her, "You're evil, you know that? I just told you how hard it was for me to handle my growing attraction to you, and then you do this!" He sighed in frustration, but continued, "Where was I? Oh, I realized how much I love you, maybe," he added, trying to show Katie his aggravation.

Katie playfully stuck her tongue out.

"Anyway, after I answer Kendall, he goes back to staring at me. Then he gets up, and walks around the desk to pull me by my collar, and threatens me."

"What did he say?"

"He said that if I ever hurt you, I should be prepared for a mysterious disappearance in the desert."

"Oh," Katie considered the story shortly, before asking in wonderment, "did Kendall give you his blessing?"

"I guess so, because he let me live," James pointed out. "So, after that, he tells me that he's about to leave, and I wanted to see him off, really, but I had to finish the article so that it would be published on time, so we said our good-byes then. You could imagine my surprise when I get a text from Kendall, telling me not to write my article just yet, because you guys had a plan to stop Fulton. He also told me about Chris, and you're right, I wanted to go and wring his neck, but Kendall told me to hold off on that, too. I guess whatever it was you guys did, worked, because he called me from Minnesota and told me that I should publish the article, but eliminate the part about my scandal. He said that even if he did hate me for loving you, I shouldn't let my work go waste quite yet."

Katie grinned, thinking of how much of a softy Kendall was. He really did put others before himself.

"So, that's that. Now," he pulled Katie back into his arms, smirking suggestively, "how exactly are you going to make it up to me for getting rid of my agent?"

Katie giggled, reaching up to cup his face, "I guess you're going to have to speak to one of my managers at the office."

James pulled back, "Wait, what? Logan and Carlos told me about you wanting to go on vacation, but now that this," he gestured between them, "is happening, are you still going?"

Katie smiled sheepishly at him. "Yes? James, you have to understand, I really, really need to get away from Hollywood and work, for a while. I need to do this for me. You understand, right?"

"Yes," he pouted slightly before grinning hopefully, "what if I come with you?"

Katie giggled, but shook her head, "No. You have to stay here and work on this album, and they're also about to make nomination decisions. You need to be making a presence in the media. I've actually set up some stuff with your PR person, so you'll have to get to work on that," Katie couldn't help but get into work-mode. "Besides, this will be a good way to see if we are able to stay committed to each other, even when apart."

James groaned, picking up the magazine that Katie had dropped during one of their moments. "Didn't this prove that I'm more than committed to you?"

"Okay, that was stupid for me to say. How about I promise you that I'll only go for a month?" She reached her arms around his neck again.

James sighed morosely, "No, you do need this vacation. So go as long as you'd like. I'll wait."

Katie giggled, seeing his pouting face. "One month," she leaned in and seductively whispered across his lips, "then I'm all yours."

James growled and picked her off her feet so that she could wrap them around his waist. "I really love you, you know that?"

Katie giggled, "Absolutely." She leaned down to kiss him again.

Gustavo's booming voice interrupted them. They turned to look through the glass into the control room to see an irate producer.

"Okay, that was way more than five minutes, and I really don't want to see _this_ happening in my studio," Gustavo stressed, looking clearly disgusted. "Monkey-dog's sister, out!"

Katie hopped off James and pecked him on the lips. "I leave tomorrow, but I'll see you tonight for dinner, okay? Just dinner," she added, seeing James' hopeful look. "I'm not that easy."

James grumbled, but relented, "Fine, but the second you come back...well, you're making up for a month of no-sex."

Gustavo pressed down the button again so that the booth's occupants could hear him, "Ew!"

Katie laughed before leaving the booth, "Remember, we're taking this slow."

Katie stopped to slap a hand on Gustavo's arm, "Aw, you know you like seeing us happy and together. Max told me all about how you wrote that song for us."

Gustavo sputtered, indignant, "I wrote that because you guys were too stupid to see what was in front of you. Now how am I supposed to write a song about your love for ea−wait, I'm _amazing_!"

Katie laughed again, before waving good-bye to her grinning boyfriend. She left the studio, happy that she seemingly had the perfect life. She had a supportive family, her friends were in a good place, her business was standing, stronger than ever. She was about to embark on a well-deserved vacation, and she had a loving boyfriend. Katie could absolutely say that she was happy.

* * *

><p>AN: And voila. James and Katie are together! I hope that was a satisfying way for them to get together. I'm terribly sorry for the amount of cheesiness. Honestly, when I get in the overly-romantic mood, it just comes out!

Thank you again for all the reviews and favourites and alerts, so far! It's absolutely unbelievable the amount of reception of this story.

I definitely would love to hear what you guys think of this chapter, was it worth the wait?

Much Love,

D

P.S. Thank you to all of you readers who have also read _Of Skirts, Pencils, Books, and Ties_! Thank you to HarleyDiamond19 for requesting the story and supplying the idea, it was definitely fun to write!


	29. Epilogue

A/N: Well, here we are, the end of _Hollywood Management_. I can't believe that you readers have stuck with this story for the last five months! Thank you so much for joining me in the indulgence of this fantasy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush

* * *

><p><em>6 months later<em>

"Where are you taking me?" Katie groaned out. James had blindfolded her and driven her across the city.

"You'll see. We're here anyway." James said excitedly.

Katie could feel him put the car in park and hear him rustle around with his seatbelt before opening and closing his door. She unbuckled herself while she waited for him to come around to her side. He opened her door and helped her out of the car. She sniffed the air.

"Are we...are we at the beach?" Katie cried, almost angrily.

"No! Geez woman, stop jumping to conclusions. Watch your step," James huffed, gently guiding her along by her shoulders.

"Well, I can clearly hear those blasted seagulls and the ocean, and feel the sun on my face, Whoa." Katie stumbled towards the end of her rant.

"I told you to watch your step. Now, keep moving forward."

Katie felt the uneven ground beneath her feet. "Are we at the marina?"

James sighed into her ear. "Yes, now will you please walk?"

Katie grumbled, but complied to her boyfriend's demands.

Katie had enjoyed a month of exploration of Europe. She had climbed the Eiffel Tower and lazily drifted through Sicily in a gondola before skiing down the Alps. She made sure to end her month-long hiatus spending it with her mom on the yoga-retreat Jennifer Knight eventually went on.

She came back to Los Angeles feeling rejuvenated. Jack and Laura had the ship sailing smoothly. Laura had gladly relinquished the CEO position back to Katie when she returned, knowing that she did want more time to spend with her children. However, she reached a compromise, by accepting a smaller managing position within the company. With FMA gone, a number of talents who had worked with Fulton needed new management. Laura and Jack had conferenced with Katie about the decision to expand their clientele, and Katie agreed, thus expanding the company even further. Katie had asked Laura to stay with Knight Management to handle a couple of clients.

Jack only ran into a few problems with James because of their first encounter. But, after James asserted his dominance by declaring that Katie was off limits, he grudgingly took Jack out for a round of beer, where the two eventually ended up bonding over hair care and surfing. Katie had sent Jack an email, thanking him for putting up with James' antiquated behaviour when James had called and told her about his 'showdown with that Jack fella.' She was glad that Jack held no hard feelings about their awkward beginning, and as predicted, Katie and Jack worked well together. Camille, who had a good laugh about the story, took pity on the blond-haired manager and set him up repeatedly with various women she knew, causing him to avoid the brunette's calls on a number of occasions.

Apart from meddling in other people's love lives, Cam was really invested into her work and with Logan. The two did move in together and became quite the domestic couple, when they had time to spend together. As a new intern at the hospital, Logan suffered a lack of social life, and slept most nights in the on-call room. Camille, glad to have Logan back in her life, waited patiently for the nights she did get to spend with him. Luckily, _The Criteria_'s writers kept her busy by creating an extensive storyline for her character on the show, which kept her almost as equally busy as her counterpart.

Katie dramatically waved her hands in front of her. "Are you planning on pushing me into the ocean? It's your own fault, you know, I told you we were moving too fast by having me move in with you. This wouldn't be happening if I still lived in my condo." Katie grabbed at her temple, when James flicked her. "Hey!"

"Honestly, you're ruining a perfectly good day with your pessimism. Anyway, you could move back into your condo, no one's stopping you. It'd be a little cramp though, don't you think?" James asked, continuing to push her gently along.

Katie grumbled incoherently, refusing to acknowledge that what James said was true.

A few months after she had returned, James asked her to move in with him. Katie would have refused if he hadn't played a card that she would automatically lose to. He sent Carlos to do his dirty work by having the Latino ask Katie to let him live in her condo.

Carlos had started filming just as Katie came back from her vacation and moved back in with James when she returned. He had promised that it was a temporary measure until he could find a place that he could call his own but filming had taken over his schedule and he barely had time to talk to his friends, let alone go house hunting. Knowing that Katie spent quite a lot of time at James' mansion and having lived in Katie's condo for a short while, Carlos suggested that they exchange residences, at least until he moved out. Two months later, and Carlos still hadn't moved out. Unable to deject one of her closest friends, Katie agreed to the move, leaving most of her belongings for Carlos' enjoyment. Katie was sure that Carlos was still occupying her abode on James' orders because he had finished filming his first movie weeks ago, and was beginning to engage in another project.

"Okay, we're here," James proclaimed happily.

"Finally. Can I can take off this bandana now?" Katie asked.

"Yes."

Katie reached up to pull the bandana off. She squinted slightly as the sun hit her eyes. Blinking, she turned to James, unimpressed. "It's a yacht."

"No...it's my yacht!"

Katie continued blinking at him.

"Don't you remember my list of things that I wanted to accomplish? You know...go on tour with BTR, break out on my own, start a movie career...buy a yacht?" James looked at her expectantly.

Katie snapped her fingers, "Oh, right!" She studied the large vessel in front of her. "It is a nice yacht, wait a minute, did you name this after me?" Katie turned to look at James with wide eyes.

James grinned at her. "Yep, you're looking at the newly christened _S.S. Katherine_."

Katie's heart leapt to her throat, but tried not to let her excitement show, in case James held it over her. She crossed her arms, "I thought you were going to call it the _S.S. Awesome_?"

"They're pretty synonymous." James wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind. "Admit it, you like that she's named after you."

Katie couldn't help the smile that graced her lips. She put her hands on his arm still wrapped around her, "Come on, show me around, smooth-talker."

James let out a chuckle and lead her up his new yacht. Katie climbed the short ladder that led to the deck. She looked around, admiring the spacious layout as James went into grab something from the bridge.

"Are we taking her out today?" Katie asked, leaning across railing to stare out to the ocean, when he came back.

"Yes, we are. We're just waiting on a couple of other people," James answered, pulling her down to sit beside him on the bow of the yacht.

"You invited the others?" Katie exclaimed happily. With their full and conflicting schedules, it was hard to gather the gang to meet as frequently as they would have liked.

James nodded. He stared out at the view, keeping quiet. Katie leaned her head on his shoulder, joining him. She couldn't believe that they had gotten this far together. After coming back from her short expedition, she returned to find James waiting at the airport with a bouquet of comic books, causing her to run, laughing, into his arms. She remembered thinking that she was right to start a relationship with the man who currently enveloped her.

As she was vacationing, James sent daily emails, which started off with information that she had already gathered from the office about how he acquired an agent through Jack, who incidentally turned out to be Marka's agent, Rachel Chang. As the month progressed, the emails became more personal, partially due to one of Katie's earlier responses about how he didn't have to act like they were just getting to know each other just because they were officially together now.

Katie smiled thinking about the emails. At the end of every letter, James mentioned how he couldn't wait to see her again and kept a countdown of when she would return. Katie had to admit, James could be devastatingly charming when he wanted to be.

Though Katie had mentioned that they shouldn't behave like they were strangers, she couldn't help but worry about what they would be like when she returned. This was a new territory for them, and she was still weary about their level of commitment to the relationship.

To her utter amazement, the transition from friendship to romantic relationship was much smoother than she anticipated. When she first reminded James about how she wanted to move through the relationship slowly, he had disagreed immediately. James thought that moving the relationship too fast or too slow would be forceful, and either way would not benefit what he wanted with her. He suggested that they let the relationship run naturally, they would make the decisions together, but there was no way that he would let something like relationship structures dictate whether or not they were good together.

Luckily, Katie found logic in his reasoning and agreed, though she was still partial to moving the relationship slowly. While she had indeed moved in with James seemingly quickly, for them, it was a natural next step that they needed to take. They had already lived together before, the only difference was that they now shared a bed.

Katie fidgeted, thinking about the first time being intimate with James in the bed that they shared. She and James had kept their sexual frustration at bay for a total of three weeks after she returned. But the tension, which had accumulated since that fateful conversation about her becoming his manager, became too much and they had coupled after a highly stimulated dinner. She remembered how electric and passionate and full of love that night was for her, and Katie had realized that all her previous experiences were lacking because she had never felt so loved like she did with James. As promised before she left, Katie unintentionally made up for James' month of lack of sex. Once they had crossed that line, they couldn't keep their hands off each other for a long duration of time. It was one of the major factors of why Carlos decided to move out, having walked in on them on a few occasions when they ventured outside of the bedroom.

James cleared his throat, startlingly Katie out of reverie. "What are you thinking about?"

Katie could feel her face heating up. If it were anyone else, Katie would have probably said it was nothing, but because it was James, she didn't have to hide anymore. She turned her head so that her chin rested on his arm while she looked up at him. "I was thinking about us. There's a part of me that still can't believe that we made it this far." She smirked at him, "Usually by now, you'd have long forgotten who I was, and I would be slaving away at the office, not caring about you in the slightest." She shifted herself so that she could feel his breath across her lips. "But, I can't imagine being apart from you, now."

He smiled gently before stealing her lips with his. When they broke apart, James reached for her hands to fiddle with them. After being with him for half a year, Katie knew that this was a habit he had whenever he wanted to confess something emotional. She studied him with her chocolate eyes, waiting for him patiently.

He cleared his throat again. "I have something for you."

Katie grinned, "I knew you were hiding something from me. What is it?"

James pulled out the blue photo album from his other side.

"Hey, it's my photo album."

"Yeah...I figured it was about time I actually gave it to you."

Katie giggled, and took the book from him, flipping through it casually. She stopped at one that caught her eye. "Hey, this is the one from our 'Cuda shoot. When did you get this?" She asked, looking up at her counterpart.

"I asked Tony to send me one that day that we went to pick out the shots we wanted. This one was my favourite. You look breathtaking, as usual."

A flashback of seeing James whisper something into Tony's ear crossed Katie's mind. She had forgotten about the incident. She closed the album and pushed it back into James' hands. "Keep it, you'll do a much better job of preserving this than I would. I'd probably drop it into the ocean by the end of the night."

James nodded, but didn't take it, like she assumed he would. "Katie, you would still do anything to help me fulfil my dreams, right?"

"Of course," Katie answered immediately. James' slow speech patterns were beginning to alarm her.

"Well, there's something that I'm going to need your help with. You see, there was one other thing I had to check off my list of accomplishments that I left out, earlier." James let out a breath, brushing back his bangs with one hand. "I said that I'd also be married to a super hot model."

Katie's eyes widened slightly, as James' hazel ones studied hers. She looked down to the blue album in her hands, piecing together the information that James had presented her.

"Flip to the last page," James gently commanded.

Katie glanced up at him, before shakily turning the book over so that she would open to the last page. She gasped openly into her hands at what she saw. Underneath a picture of him on one knee, in his familiar loopy writing bore the message:

_Will you marry me?_

Katie looked up to find James holding out a ring. "So, Katherine...are you still willing to help me accomplish my dreams?"

Silent tears slid down her face as Katie nodded aggressively. She beamed, throwing her arms around his neck. "Yes, I'll marry you." She leaned back to cup his face and drew him into a kiss.

James grinned, pulling back. "You're gonna have to put on the ring, then."

Katie nodded again, holding out her hand to let him slid the ring home.

Katie grinned again, and was about to pull James into another kiss when a storm of clapping and hollering burst through the air. She turned her head to find Carlos, Camille and Logan, walking towards them with a video camera.

She turned her head back to James, "You planned this!" She exclaimed, quite stupidly out of joy.

James chuckled, "You bet I did."

Katie giggled before standing up, tugging James up as well. Carlos and Logan latched onto their former bandmate, slapping him on the back. Cam immediately pulled her into a hug.

"Congratulations!"

Katie grinned, returning the squeeze. "Thank you!" She exclaimed letting go.

Carlos grabbed onto Katie the second she released Cam. "I can't believe _you're_ marrying James! I can't believe that _James_ is getting married!"

Katie continued giggling, overwhelmed with joy. "I know, right?"

Carlos laughed along with her before teasingly poking her in the stomach. "I never took you to be the girl who cries at a proposal."

Katie shoved him, rolling her eyes. "Shut up," she groaned, blushing all the while. "Just wait until you propose to someone. I can almost guarantee a screw up," she jokingly added.

"That," Logan interrupted them, "is almost a hundred percent true. Come here," he held out his arms for Katie, which she went into willingly. "I'm still not exactly sure why someone as smart as you is dating, oh excuse me, _engaged_ to a guy like James."

Logan's comment earned him a slap on the head from James, making him yelp and release Katie.

Katie giggled, returning to James' side. She was glad that she could share this occasion with her closest friends, but it would have been better if her brother had been here, as well. She shook her head, trying to shake off the negativity.

James placed his hand on Katie's waist, pulling her closer to his side. "You know, this moment is almost perfect."

Katie looked up at him, frowning, "What do you mean?"

James, however, wasn't looking at her. Katie followed his line of sight only to gasp again.

Walking in from behind Carlos, Cam and Logan were Kendall, Jennifer, and Brooke Diamond.

Katie quickly ran over to her family, embracing them in a group hug. "What are you guys doing here?" She turned to smile nervously at James's mother. "Hi, Mrs. Diamond."

Brooke Diamond walked over and scrutinized Katie for so long, that Katie looked feverishly at her fiancé for help. Brooke had seen the glance and looked at her son, too.

"So, James. Katie's the one that you want to marry?"

James cleared his throat and confidently looked his mother in the eye, when he reached out for Katie's hand. "Yes, mom. I'm marrying Katie." He turned his hazel eyes to Katie. "She's the one I love, and she loves me, too."

Katie smiled at him, before waiting for Brooke's verdict.

Brooke let out a small smile, "Well then, Katie, you better start calling me 'mom,' too."

James let out a relieved sigh, "You approve?"

Brooke came closer to pat him on his cheeks, "Of course. Katie's smart, beautiful, and runs her own company. I see a lot of her in me." She pulled James into a hug.

Katie looked at James and the others, alarmed at Brooke's comment. She quickly relaxed when all of them shook their heads aggressively.

Jennifer Knight walked over and placed her hands gently on Brooke's shoulders from behind her. "Looks like we're really family now."

Katie gave her mom a grateful smile. She was glad that her mom was supportive of their relationship, but then she remembered that Jennifer Knight was fairly easy-going. The only thing she really had a problem with was the odd fights the gang would get into.

Katie went over to Kendall who was standing to the side, seemingly waiting for her to approach him. She raised her eyebrows at him in question. "Well? Are you okay with this?"

Kendall smirked, crossing his arms. "I kind of have to be. I already gave James my blessing."

Katie turned on her heels to glare quizzically at James for an explanation.

He shuffled his feet before muttering, "I, um, may have asked for your hand from Kendall." Katie gave him a look of disbelief. He threw up his hands in exasperation. "Do you think he would have agreed otherwise? Besides, I like being traditional, okay?"

Katie shook her head, turning back to her brother. "So, why did you just show up now?"

"I had to pick up mom and Mrs. Diamond from the airport."

During her trek across Europe, Kendall had decided to take the job as assistant coach to the L.A. Kings. He had moved back shortly after Katie's return, reoccupying her guest room in the condo. When she moved out and Carlos moved in, Kendall took over her room, thus becoming roommates with the Latino.

Jennifer had decided to stay in Minnesota, having grown to love her job as a consultant to future stage-moms. However, Kendall was constantly pestering her to move the business out to California so that he and Katie could remain close to her. Katie secretly agreed to her brother's plan, having missed her mother's presence in her life, but she knew that her mother would choose whatever was best for her.

Katie tilted her head to one side, studying her brother's relaxed attitude. "I kind of expected a bigger reaction from you."

Kendall grinned and pulled Katie to him. "You mean, you want me to freak out at how fast your relationship is moving? First you guys date, then you move in together, and now you're engaged all in a period of half a year...yeah, I see your point." He chuckled, still holding onto Katie, "I trust your judgement, Katie. If I thought that this wasn't right for you, you would have definitely heard me say something by now. And, I can see how happy you guys are together. Besides, I already had my freak out when James asked me, I'm over it."

Katie giggled, "Love you, big brother."

"Love you, too, baby sis." Kendall turned to look at James. "Even though I'm letting you marry her, you are not allowed to sleep with her. If I find out that you got my sister pregnant, I'm going to keep good on my threat to murder you."

James gulped while Katie rolled her eyes. "Mom!"

"Kendall! Don't try to stop your sister from giving me grandchildren."

Everyone's eyes popped wide open at the eldest Knight's comment.

"Mom," Katie called, red in the face, "that won't be happening for a _very_, _very_ long time." She smirked and added, "Besides, wouldn't it be more special if your first grandchild came from your firstborn?"

"Katie!" Kendall shouted with large green eyes, knowing that their mother was going to agree with her.

"That's what you get for trying to impede on my sex-life," Katie answered bluntly, uncaring if she made the guests feel awkward.

Carlos clapped his hands, trying to clear the air. "Okay, can we break out the champagne, now?"

James coughed and shook his head. "Not yet. We're still waiting on a few more people."

Katie gave him a puzzled look to which he responded, "You'll see."

Katie shrugged and went to engage her mother and future mother-in-law in conversation. Katie thought of how bewildering that comment sounded in her head. After a few minutes of catching up, she heard clambering and commotion coming from the stern of the yacht. She openly gasped as she saw all of their closest friends and people of her company appear on deck. She made her way to James.

"You invited everyone?" She asked, astounded.

"I had to. It's a big moment," James feigned sheepishness before he slyly winked at her.

Katie crossed her arms. "What if I hadn't agreed?"

James pulled her to him, crossed arms and all, "Would you have?" He shot her one of his toothy smiles.

"Dammit, James. You can't just flash those babies around. You know they're my kryptonite," Katie pouted, wrapping her arms around him, causing James to laugh.

"Now, can we open the champagne?" Carlos asked.

His best friends sighed and simultaneously shouted in exasperation and amusement, "Yes!"

Katie laughed and went to greet the new guests. She was glad to see all of her clients and business associates. Katie and James mingled with everyone from Mags to Gustavo and Kelly. James and Katie took time to congratulate Tony and Daniella on the success of the ads. Even Russell made a short appearance before heading off to another party he had to attend. His departure signalled the movement of the yacht.

Docked out in the ocean for a couple of hours, everyone in Katie's life was having a good time, celebrating a momentous occasion in her life.

James pulled her away and onto the bow of the yacht. He stood behind her, allowing her to lean back on him while James kept Katie wrapped in his arms as they watched the sunset.

"Well, future Mrs. Diamond, what do you think?"

Katie scrunched up her nose, "Hmm, I don't think that's going to happen. I mean, my company is called Knight Management, don't you think people would be confused if I changed my last name?" She giggled, and turned around, staying in his arms when she heard his silence. "I'm kidding! I'd be honoured to be Mrs. Diamond."

"Good," James said, before kissing her.

"But," Katie started as she pulled away. "I want a long engagement. I'd rather not have to deal with any bridal anxiety attacks from my mom, Cam, and Mags, and probably your mom, as well."

"Fine, but we have to do it before I'm thirty," James agreed.

Katie frowned, "You're twenty-nine, now."

"I know."

Katie rolled her eyes, "How about before I'm twenty-five?"

James pondered her answer for a while, before reluctantly agreeing. "Okay. But, you do realize that you're probably going to have to deal with anxiety attacks anyway, right?"

Kati sighed, before resting her head on his chest. "I know. Couldn't you have just let me pretend for a little while?"

James laughed, hugging her tighter to him, "Sorry." Katie listened to his pounding heart. "I love you, Katie."

Katie smiled warmly, wrapping her arms around the love of her life. "I love you, too."

In that moment, Katie was never happier taking advice from her older brother. She just had to give love a chance.

_Fin_

* * *

><p>AN: That's it! What did you guys think? I hope you readers liked it.

As promised, I will be writing a couple of companion pieces to explain the back stories and most likely, they will take place over the period of the time skip. I haven't started working on them yet, but I hope to get to them soon, I just need a little break! Be warned, they won't be as long as _Hollywood Management_, this just turned out to be a monster of a story.

Also, for all you fabulous readers who have reviewed, once or multiple times, and/or those who have this story on your favourites and alerts, I have a one-shot coming shortly that is dedicated specifically to you. Keep your eyes peeled!

And, because I have a request for it, a sequel one-shot is in the works for _Of Skirts, Pencils, Books, and Ties_. So if you have read that, and enjoyed it, there is more coming!

Thank you all so much again for joining me on this fabulous journey, please leave a review and tell me what you think!

Much Love,

Dawnindanite


	30. Companion Piece Notice

**AN: Hello dear followers of ****_Hollywood Management_****! I know it's been a while since the conclusion of this story, but as promised I have finally started posting one of the companion pieces, titled, ****_Hollywood Coaching_****. As so many of you have this story on alert, I figured that this was the only way to reach out to you! **

**Thanks so much for reading this story and I hope you will continue to join me on my writing journey!**

**Love, **

**Dawnindanite**


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